"The Gender Agenda": New Strategies in Catholic Fundamentalist Framing of Non-Heterosexuality in Europe

2011 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 273-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catrien Notermans ◽  
Judith Samson ◽  
Willy Jansen

AbstractCatholic fundamentalists attempt to mobilize a social movement against the EU's antidiscrimination policies by engaging with feminist and other scientific theories. The framing strategies they employ will be studied through narrative analysis of different Catholic fundamentalist texts. A particular focus will be placed on the public statements of Pope Benedict XVI on homosexuality and on the anti-EU narrative "The Gender Revolution" by the German writer Gabriele Kuby. It is argued that in their discourses they use a specific framing strategy, namely to present themselves and (fundamentalist) Christianity as gender experts and preservers of European democracy.

Religions ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 460
Author(s):  
Janusz Węgrzecki

The article analyzes the content of the Pope’s speeches discussing, reconstructing and interpreting the concept of two dominant western cultures and their mutual relationships to the perspective of Pope Benedict XVI, who calls them the culture of radical enlightenment and the culture of humanism that is open to transcendence. The article identifies fundamental contentious issues including: anthropological issues, human dignity, political anthropology, freedom, reason, its rationality, and the role of religion in the public sphere. Thus, the article provides a positive answer to the question of whether the perspective of the clash of cultures outlined by Samuel Huntington can be cognitively used in interpreting the contrast of cultures presented from the perspective of Pope Benedict XVI. However, contrary to Huntington, who describes the clash of western cultures with other, non-western cultures, Pope Benedict XVI claims that there is a clash between two dominant western cultures.


2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (1(13)) ◽  
pp. 69-85
Author(s):  
Tomas Petracek

The author deals with the reception of the moral teachings of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI by the Czech agnostic and atheist public. He puts this dialogue in the historical context of the Czech history of the 20th century and demonstrates its limits and possibilities. Although there is a common dialogue and interest space, currently, however, on the atheistic part of the public prevails a rather confrontational stance.


Horizons ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-53
Author(s):  
Erin Brigham

ABSTRACTThis paper explores the debate on the public voice of religion from two perspectives: contemporary critical theory and the Catholic social tradition. Using the recent conversation between Jürgen Habermas and Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) on religion and secularization as a point of entry, I argue that critical theory offers a framework of rationality that promotes dialogue between religious and secular individuals while the Catholic social tradition's principle of subsidiarity provides a practical model for how this dialogue can occur.


2021 ◽  
pp. 146144482110265
Author(s):  
Jörg Haßler ◽  
Anna-Katharina Wurst ◽  
Marc Jungblut ◽  
Katharina Schlosser

Social movement organizations (SMOs) increasingly rely on Twitter to create new and viral communication spaces alongside newsworthy protest events and communicate their grievance directly to the public. When the COVID-19 pandemic impeded street protests in spring 2020, SMOs had to adapt their strategies to online-only formats. We analyze the German-language Twitter communication of the climate movement Fridays for Future (FFF) before and during the lockdown to explain how SMOs adapted their strategy under online-only conditions. We collected (re-)tweets containing the hashtag #fridaysforfuture ( N = 46,881 tweets, N = 225,562 retweets) and analyzed Twitter activity, use of hashtags, and predominant topics. Results show that although the number of tweets was already steadily declining before, it sharply dropped during the lockdown. Moreover, the use of hashtags changed substantially and tweets focused increasingly on thematic discourses and debates around the legitimacy of FFF, while tweets about protests and calls for mobilization decreased.


Author(s):  
Jo WOOLF

ABSTRACT James Croll (1821–1890) was a gifted scientist whose revolutionary theories had a profound impact on our understanding of the Earth's climate, ice ages and glaciation. While his contributions are recognised by an increasing number of modern-day scientists, in the public domain his legacy has been all but forgotten. Popularising Croll's story brings its own challenges: we know more about the science than we do about the man, and his theories do not lend themselves to quick and easy explanation. While Croll's scientific theories, presented alone, risk being viewed as complex and difficult to digest, his lifelong struggle against adversity is a compelling story with the potential for widespread public appeal. In recent years, interested individuals and institutions have begun to increase public awareness of Croll through talks and lectures, exhibitions, theatrical events and articles in print and online. There are many more possibilities that are worth investigating, in order to inspire and engage people locally, nationally and even internationally. Croll's story is fascinating from many points of view, and is open to interpretation by people of different ages and backgrounds. Perhaps even the gaps in our knowledge can be turned to advantage, allowing for imagination, creativity and expression.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 379-398
Author(s):  
David Parra Gómez

Democracy is an instrument at the service of a noble purpose: to ensure the freedom and equality of all citizens by guaranteeing the civil, political and social rights contained in constitutional texts. Among the great principles on which this instrument rests is the division of powers, which consists, substantially, in the fact that power is not concentrated, but that the various functions of the State are exercised by different bodies, which, moreover, control each other. Well, the increasingly aggressive interference of the Executive and, to a lesser extent, the Legislative in material spheres that should be reserved exclusively for the Judiciary, violates this principle and, for this reason, distorts the idea of democracy, an alarming trend that, for some time now, are observed in European Union countries such as Hungary, Poland and Spain. Preventing the alarming degradation of European democracy, of which these three countries are an example, requires not only more than necessary institutional reforms to ensure respect for these principles and prevent the arbitrariness of the public authorities, but also a media network and an education system that explains and promotes these values and principles, that is, one that makes citizens aware of and defend constitutionalism. Keywords: Rule of law; Democracy; Separation of powers; judicial independence; Europe.


2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 147
Author(s):  
Jerzy Lewandowski

In a contemporary, secularized society, faith is undervalued and marginalized.How can we find the “joy of faith” nowadays? A deepening response to this questionis found in “Joy of Faith,” which is a type of catechesis by Pope Benedict XVI connected to the Year of faith. A re-reading of Pope’s thought gives a specialopportunity to realize the apparent truth that modern theology serves to awakenthe “joy of faith.” Turning this thought aside: believers need contemporary theologyso that their faith can be deepened, joyful and courageous in the discourse with“apostles” of religious indifference and moral relativism. Reading of papal catechesisreveals that faith gives a renewed glimpse into human existence, enables usto discover in God the source of truth, introduces in the experience of the action ofthe Holy Spirit and of the Church, and finally gives assurance of salvation, whichfor the Christian is the foundation of the ultimate (eschatological) joy.


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