For King and Country

Abstract

Because of the role religion plays in upholding socio-political arrangements in Jordan, we argue that Jordanian Protestants, as a religious minority, can be productively understood as a religious counterpublic. Given the explicitly Islamic nature of Jordanian national identity, their unique mode of counterpublicity seeks to simultaneously maintain a distinct religious identity while also compensating for Jordanian Protestants’ deviance from the prevailing religious norms via overt displays of national loyalty. This compensatory mode of counterpublicity is visible through Jordanian Protestants’ public displays and symbols, public sermons and statements, and on social media.