Contesting empire religion: coloniality and sticky media discourses

The concept of religion in settler-colonial Australia is intricately intertwined with whiteness and Christianity and introduced during colonisation. Its influence is evident not only in its integration into Australian society but also in the exclusionary measures within religious communities. Due to...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Weng, Enqi (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Taylor and Francis Group 2021
In: Culture and religion
Year: 2021, Volume: 22, Issue: 2, Pages: 164-183
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Australia / Religion / Q+A / Media / Discourse / Emotion / Colonialism / Decolonisation / History 2012-2021
IxTheo Classification:AD Sociology of religion; religious policy
CG Christianity and Politics
CH Christianity and Society
KBS Australia; Oceania
TK Recent history
ZG Media studies; Digital media; Communication studies
Further subjects:B decolonising
B affective discourses
B race and religion
B Media discourses
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:The concept of religion in settler-colonial Australia is intricately intertwined with whiteness and Christianity and introduced during colonisation. Its influence is evident not only in its integration into Australian society but also in the exclusionary measures within religious communities. Due to Australia’s colonial history, ‘religion’ is often narrowly interpreted, with a conservative, moralistic lens influenced by Eurocentric perspectives. This interpretation tends to have an affective ‘sticky’ dimension that generates significant media discussion. This paper examines the prevalence of ‘empire religion’ in media discourses, and aims to uncover and critique the presence of coloniality in discussions about religion. By adopting a decolonial lens to explore Australian religions and spirituality, this paper argues that sticky media discourses on religion can be seen as reverbs of Australia’s ‘colonial wound’. These reverbs collectively serve as an active resistance and deconstruction of coloniality, urging for greater truth-telling, healing, and a more comprehensive understanding of Australian religions and spirituality.
ISSN:1475-5629
Contains:Enthalten in: Culture and religion
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1080/14755610.2023.2255305