Abstract
Abstract Over the course of interviews with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning and other (LGBTQ+) participants (or former participants) in Australian Pentecostal-Charismatic Christian (PCC) churches, a question emerged: why do LGBTQ+ people remain in churches which do not affirm their sexuality and/or gender identity (or, in the case of those who leave, why did they stay as long as they did)? Understanding these churches as “Greedy Institutions,” which stake a claim for participants’ undivided commitment, offers one explanation. Greedy institutions ostensibly maximize loyalty and assent without coercion, and this fits well with the reports of respondents, whose churches became the center of their spiritual and social lives. However, recognising the presence of a “morality of extremes,” divergence from which is punished as disloyalty, requires an analysis which discloses the exercise of “symbolic violence.” This perspective reveals that assent is also ensured through the threat of loss of ministry opportunities and community, and even eternal consequences.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.