Dissident Discipleship: Radical Christianity’s identity and performance in urban praxis
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Pasqual, Elaine. 2024. Dissident Discipleship: Radical Christianity’s identity and performance in urban praxis. Doctoral thesis, Goldsmiths, University of London [Thesis]
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Text (Dissident Discipleship: Radical Christianity’s identity and performance in urban praxis)
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Abstract or Description
Postsecularity studies have aimed to understand the persistence and development of religious movements in our time, particularly when it comes to public religion. The purpose of this research is to provide an in-depth analysis of Christian communities and individuals (which will be defined as “Radical Christianity” and “Radical Christians” respectively) whose beliefs centre a radical stance for socioeconomic and climate justice via political activism and advocacy, and the development of spaces of inclusion and resistance in urban centres.
Radical Christianity is identified here as a cluster of evolving networks. The data analysed comes from the participant observation of one local church and one national advocacy group over one year, and 22 in-depth, semi structured interviews with individuals who self-identified as Radical Christians.
The findings of this fieldwork indicate that Radical Christians have a collectivist faith that is more immanent than transcendental, and thus calls for practical and structural action towards equity in society. Further, this research indicates that these individuals organise within two settings. First, in local institutional networks, typically churches, that serve as microcosms of inclusion and resistance in the local community. Second, in dispersed networks where they can have communion with like-minded people spread across the country, and advocate for specific issues such as climate justice, LGBTQ+ inclusion in the Church, refugee and migrant rights, etc.
The particular formation of Radical Christian networks leads to a dissident form of discipleship in which they feel called to come together to practise their faith in community, understanding Christianity as a religion that centres the marginalised and seeks to abolish systems of oppression of their sociological context. By understanding these people’s motivations, goals, and how they organise, productive dialogues and partnerships can be formed and further research can be done into the Radical Christian framework as these networks develop.
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Item Type: |
Thesis (Doctoral) |
| Identification Number (DOI): |
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| Keywords: |
radical, Christianity, identity, religious identity, praxis, intersectionality, postsecularity, postsecularism, public religion, Radical Christianity, collectivism, activism, global city |
| Departments, Centres and Research Units: |
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| Date: |
30 June 2024 |
| Item ID: |
37227 |
| Date Deposited: |
05 Jul 2024 14:57 |
| Last Modified: |
05 Jul 2024 15:03 |
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URI: |
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