Introduction: The Debate over Homosexual Ordination: Subcultural Identity Theory in American Religious Organizations
This essay plots the moral, social and ideological map within which Protestant, Catholic and Jewish religious organizations debate the issue of homosexual ordination. It argues that the bipolar cultural war thesis may describe the rhetoric of elites on each side of the debate but it fails to grasp t...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Sage Publications
1999
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| In: |
Review of religious research
Year: 1999, Volume: 41, Issue: 2, Pages: 184-206 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
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| Summary: | This essay plots the moral, social and ideological map within which Protestant, Catholic and Jewish religious organizations debate the issue of homosexual ordination. It argues that the bipolar cultural war thesis may describe the rhetoric of elites on each side of the debate but it fails to grasp the diverse positions held by American religious groups. Kniss's recent model of moral mapping provides a more comprehensive understanding of the Catholic, Protestant and Jewish debates in the context of American religious and political culture. Subcultural identity theory investigates why the issue of homosexuality is at the center of controversy in American religious denominations, arguing that symbolic positions are taken by religious elites in order to mobilize political movements, resources and members. In comparing the strategic approaches of Catholic, Protestant and Jewish bodies four typologies are outlined: exclusive, semi-exclusive, semi-inclusive and inclusive. This broader perspective on the argument over the ordination of gays and lesbians gives a context for the following four essays that analyze the recent debate over the issue in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). |
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| ISSN: | 2211-4866 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Review of religious research
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.2307/3512106 |