scholarly journals Why Do Gay Christians Go To Church? Foucault and Religion

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Jonathan Timothy Beazer

<p>This thesis explores the subjective experiences of New Zealand men who identify as gay and Christian. In particular, the study questions why gay men attend churches that have traditionally not welcomed or supported them. A small number of international studies have investigated gay men who have left the Church but there are few studies of those who stay. This research uses the work of Michel Foucault to theorise the contours of gay Christianity. Foucault's work has been little used in the sociology of religion. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with twelve men who identified as gay and Christian. Transcripts were examined using theoretically based thematic analysis, and three resulting themes are explored. The first theme describes religious exclusion of gay men and the value of supportive networks for gay Christians. The second theme theorises the concept of religious belief as both a type of knowledge/power and a practice, as well as exploring connections between religion and power. The third theme focuses on subjectivity, analysing ways in which those interviewed constructed an integrated gay and Christian self. Church attendance by gay men is attributed to three factors summarised as reasons of faith, reasons of fellowship and reasons of identity. These findings contribute to academic literature concerning religion, gay identity and Foucault, and there is scope for further research in these areas. The use of Foucault's work in this way may contribute to theoretical and methodological developments in the sociology of religion.</p>

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Jonathan Timothy Beazer

<p>This thesis explores the subjective experiences of New Zealand men who identify as gay and Christian. In particular, the study questions why gay men attend churches that have traditionally not welcomed or supported them. A small number of international studies have investigated gay men who have left the Church but there are few studies of those who stay. This research uses the work of Michel Foucault to theorise the contours of gay Christianity. Foucault's work has been little used in the sociology of religion. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with twelve men who identified as gay and Christian. Transcripts were examined using theoretically based thematic analysis, and three resulting themes are explored. The first theme describes religious exclusion of gay men and the value of supportive networks for gay Christians. The second theme theorises the concept of religious belief as both a type of knowledge/power and a practice, as well as exploring connections between religion and power. The third theme focuses on subjectivity, analysing ways in which those interviewed constructed an integrated gay and Christian self. Church attendance by gay men is attributed to three factors summarised as reasons of faith, reasons of fellowship and reasons of identity. These findings contribute to academic literature concerning religion, gay identity and Foucault, and there is scope for further research in these areas. The use of Foucault's work in this way may contribute to theoretical and methodological developments in the sociology of religion.</p>


2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Hajek

This article is based on semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis of stories of 40 early midlife gay men concerning their conversations with younger gay men. Utilizing the communication theory of identity (CTI) as a sensitizing framework, open and axial coding revealed three overarching themes: shifted perspective on gay identity, evolved performance of gay identity, and discord with gay cultural expectations. The findings contribute to broadened understandings of how gay men experience midlife, and these are discussed in light of key CTI concepts.


Author(s):  
Elisa Eastwood Pulido

A spiritual biography, this book chronicles the journey of Margarito Bautista (1878–1961) from Mormonism to the Third Convention, a Latter-day Saint (Mormon) splinter group he fomented in 1935–1936, to Colonia Industrial/Nueva Jerusalén, a polygamist utopia Bautista founded in 1947. It argues that Bautista embraced Mormon belief in indigenous exceptionalism in 1901 and rapidly rose through the ranks of Mormon priesthood until convinced that the Mormon hierarchy was not invested in the development of native American peoples, as promoted in the Church’s canon. This realization resulted in tensions over indigenous self-governance within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) and Bautista’s 1937 excommunication. The book contextualizes Bautista’s thought with a chapter on the spiritual conquest of Mexico in 1513 and another on the arrival of Mormons in Mexico. In addition to accounts of Bautista’s congregation-building on both sides of the U.S. border, this volume includes an examination of Bautista’s magnum opus, a 564-page tome hybridizing Aztec history and Book of Mormon narratives, and his prophetic plan for the recovery of indigenous authority in the Americas. Bautista’s excommunication catapulted him into his final spiritual career, that of a utopian founder. In the establishment of his colony, Bautista found a religious home, free from Euro-American oversight, where he implemented his prophetic plan for Mexico’s redemption. His plan included obedience to early Mormonism’s most stringent practices, polygamy and communalism. Bautista nonetheless hoped his community would provide a model for Mexicans willing to prepare the world for Christ’s millennial reign.


Author(s):  
Michael P. DeJonge

If, as Chapter 12 argues, much of Bonhoeffer’s resistance thinking remains stable even as he undertakes the novel conspiratorial resistance, what is new in his resistance thinking in the third phase? What receives new theological elaboration is the resistance activity of the individual, which in the first two phases was overshadowed by the resistance role played by the church. Indeed, as this chapter shows, Bonhoeffer’s conspiratorial activity is associated with what he calls free responsible action (type 6), and this is the action of the individual, not the church, in the exercise of vocation. As such, the conspiratorial activity is most closely related to the previously developed type 1 resistance, which includes individual vocational action in response to state injustice. But the conspiratorial activity differs from type 1 resistance as individual vocational action in the extreme situation.


Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136236132110186
Author(s):  
Justin A Haegele ◽  
Anthony J Maher

The study examined the subjective experiences of autistic youth regarding the role of peer interactions and relationships in feelings of belonging in integrated physical education classes. The term integrated is used to describe a setting in which all students, regardless of educational needs, are educated in the same physical space. Eight autistic youth (all male, aged 13–18 years) who had received most of their physical education in integrated classes acted as participants. Semi-structured interviews were used to generate qualitative data, which were analyzed using a reflexive thematic approach. Findings are presented in three themes: (a) bullying can lead to self-harm and self-isolation, (b) peer interactions and relationships in the locker room, and (c) peer relationships are based on shared interests and take time to develop. Even though autistic students were educated in the same spaces as their non-autistic peers, feelings of belonging were largely unavailable to them. Lay abstract Recent years have seen calls to amplify the voices of autistic people in research about their subjective experiences. Despite this, we know little about how autistic youth experience integrated physical education, particularly in the United States. The term integrated is used to describe a setting in which all students, regardless of educational needs, are educated in the same physical space. In this study, we sought to explore the perspectives of autistic youth toward their experiences in integrated physical education, and the roles of social interactions and relationships with peers in those experiences. Findings noted that several factors influenced the ways and extent to which our participants interacted with their peers during physical education. Unfortunately, most of our participants recalled experiencing bullying, and that physical education offered an environment where bullying was most frequent and comparatively unique compared to other contexts throughout the school day. The locker room, a space linked to physical education, was of particular concern because of a lack of teacher presence. Despite the negative views of and experiences in physical education, there was evidence of participants actively pursuing to connect with peers in this context. However, most instances where participants recalled pursuing friendship were not welcomed from others, which stunted their sense of belonging in this space. Given the role that belonging plays in what it means “to be included,” our research supports emerging ideas that even though autistic students were educated in the same physical spaces as their non-autistic peers, feelings of inclusion were largely absent.


2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 1264.2-1265
Author(s):  
O. Krichevskaya ◽  
T. Dubinina ◽  
E. Ilinykh ◽  
S. Glukhova ◽  
A. Demina

Background:NSAIDs remain the first-line drugs in treatment of AS. During pregnancy, COX-2 non-selective NSAIDs are allowed for intake up to 32 weeks, but the question of the dose-dependent effect of NSAIDs on fetal organogenesis in the 1st trimester and on fetal kidney function and the increased risk of bleeding in childbirth when taken in the second half of pregnancy continues to be discussed. At the same time, data on the effectiveness of NSAIDs, including their low and medium doses, during pregnancy are extremely small.Objectives:to describe the frequency of using NSAIDs during pregnancy, to determine relationship between the dose of NSAIDs, adherence to therapy with the activity of AS.Methods:50 pregnancies were followed in 49 pregnant women with confirmed AS (modified New York criteria, 1984). The average age of the pts was 31.6 ± 4.9 years, the duration of the disease was 134.4 ± 85.8 months. The visits were conducted at 10-11, 20-21, and 31-32 weeks of pregnancy. The BASDAI in the month of conception and in the trimesters (trim.) of pregnancy was: 1,4[0,6; 3,3]; 2,3[1,2; 4,4]; 2,8[1,4; 4,2] and 2,2[1,6; 4,0], respectively. The level of nocturnal back pain according to the NRS in the first, second and third trim. was: 3.2±2.0; 5.4±2.5 and 5.2±2.6, respectively. The drug of choice was ibuprofen at a maximum daily dose of 1200 mg, its withdrawal - no later than 32 weeks of pregnancy.Adherence to NSAID therapy was defined as the ratio of the actual dose taken to the prescribed dose; an indicator of less than 80% was regarded as non-adherence to therapy. The total dose of NSAIDs was determined by the NSAID intake index (M. Dougados, 2001). The” actual daily dose” of ibuprofen was the sum of the doses of ibuprofen taken, divided by the number of actual days of taking the drug. The “average daily dose” was defined as the sum of the ibuprofen doses taken, divided by the number of days in the trimester.Results:At the time of conception and in the first, second and third trim. of pregnancy, NSAIDs were taken 23 (46%), 20 (40%), 30 (60%) and 21 (43.8%) women, respectively. The NSAID intake index, the actual and average daily dose of ibuprofen are shown in the Table 1.month of conceptiontrim. 1trim. 2trim. 3the actual daily dose, mg-700[425; 800]800[400; 1000]750[400; 1200]the average daily dose, mg-158[87,9; 307,7]355,1[138,5; 685,7]580[320; 1200]NSAIDs intake index28,6 [16,7; 50]5,8 [2,9; 11,8]15,5 [4,7; 30,9]24,4 [9,5; 50]The index of NSAID intake in the first trim. was lower than before pregnancy and in the second half of gestation (p<0.05 compared to the month of conception, II and III trim.). The average daily dose of ibuprofen was also lower in the first trim. than in the second and third trim. (p<0.05), while the actual daily dose in the second trim. was higher than in the first and third trim. (p<0.05 in all cases).There was no correlation between BASDAI AS activity, the level of nocturnal pain and the ibuprofen intake index, likewise the fact of NSAID withdrawal throughout pregnancy. In addition, there were no differences in BASDAI levels and back pain in women with a subjective need for NSAIDs, who did and did’t take ibuprofen.50% of women were committed to NSAID therapy in the first trim., 43.5% in the second trim., and 67.4% in the third trim. In pts with non-adherence to NSAID therapy, the BASDAI level was higher than in those who followed the recommendations of the rheumatologist throughout pregnancy: in the first trim. – 3.8[3.4; 4.7] and 1.7[0.8; 2.2]; in the second trim. - 3[2.3; 4.6] and 1.4[0.8; 2.7]; in the third trim. - 3.1[2.1; 4.0] and 1.7[1.1; 4.0], p<0.05 in all cases. However, women with adherence > 80% were initially less active and NSAIDs were prescribed “on demand”, which increased their compliance.Conclusion:intake of ibuprofen in low doses does not affect the activity of AS. Due to the ongoing discussion about the effect of NSAIDs on neonatal outcomes, further international studies are required for development an optimal treatment regimen during pregnancy with a possible extension of the indications for the appointment of TNF inhibitors (BASDAI<4).Disclosure of Interests:None declared.


Sexualities ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 136346072096130
Author(s):  
Rhiannon Bury ◽  
Lee Easton

Social media and content-sharing platforms provide new opportunities for the circulation of not only professional and amateur porn productions but also “pornographic self-representation”. This study examines the interactions that occur when male pornographic self-representation is shared in an inclusive space that welcomes both straight and gay men to post dick pics and gaze/comment on them. Focusing on the Reddit forum, Massive Cock, we conducted a discourse analysis of a selection of posts, comments and account profiles collected over a seven-month period. Based on our findings, we contend that Massive is a homosocial space where homoerotic dick gazing reaffirms and disrupts the heterosexual–homosexual binary. Our findings point to an uneven dynamic in which the majority of the posters perform a straight identity, whereas the majority of commenters perform a gay identity. Their comments serve to disrupt hegemonic masculinity and, in turn, create a space that welcomes mostly straight and bi-curious performances of masculinity. Such performances are possible due to recent cultural shift away from homo-hysteria and towards a more inclusive heteromasculinity. Collectively these performances produce an inclusive “fraternity of the cock”, but it is one which maintains a heterocentric focus and function.


2012 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erez Levon

AbstractThis article presents an analysis of a slang variety, called oxtšit, as it is described and used by a cohort of gay men in Israel. Unlike many previous analyses of gay slang, I argue that the men described do not use the variety to help construct and affirm an alternative gay identity, but rather that they use it as a form of in-group mockery through which normative and nonnormative articulations of Israeli gay male sexuality are delineated. It is suggested that this discussion has implications for sociolinguistic understandings of “groupness” more broadly, and particularly the relationship between macro-level social categories (like “gay”) and individual lived experience. (Gay slang, Israel, vari-directional voicing, identity/alterity)*


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