Church Communication and Constructions of the Self: Exploring
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Church communication and constructions of the self: Exploring identity & identification in church communication A thesis submitted to Auckland University of Technology in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Angelique Margarita Nairn 2013 Table of Contents Lists of Texts and Figures ....................................................................................... v Attestation of Authorship .................................................................................... vii Acknowledgements .............................................................................................viii Abstract ............................................................................................................... ix Chapter 1 .................................................................................................................. 1 Overview of the Research ...................................................................................... 1 1.1 Origins of the research concept ..................................................................... 1 1.2 Research questions and theoretical framing ................................................. 6 1.3 Specifics of the research ............................................................................... 8 1.4 A brief overview of the fields of inquiry: identity and rhetoric ................... 11 1.5 The organisation of the thesis ..................................................................... 15 Chapter 2 ................................................................................................................ 17 Reconnoitring Religion ........................................................................................ 17 2.1 Defining religion ........................................................................................ 17 2.2 Religion and Society ................................................................................. 20 2.3 Power, biblical interpretation and the construction of religious identity .... 27 Summary ......................................................................................................... 36 Chapter 3 ............................................................................................................... 37 Identity & Identification ...................................................................................... 37 Introduction .................................................................................................... 37 3.1 Identity: product of social interaction ....................................................... 38 3.2 Social Identity ........................................................................................... 41 3.3 Image, identity and action: constructing organisational identification ....... 44 Summary .......................................................................................................... 51 Chapter 4 ............................................................................................................... 52 Methodology & Method ..................................................................................... 52 Introduction .................................................................................................... 52 4.1 Research paradigm .................................................................................... 53 4.2 Persuasive communication and rhetoric .................................................... 56 4.3 Kenneth Burke and George Cheney: Perceptions on rhetoric and identity 62 4.4 Limitations ............................................................................................... 69 ii 4.5 Method .................................................................................................... 70 Summary ......................................................................................................... 75 Chapter 5 ............................................................................................................... 76 Pentecostal addresses: Positivity and purpose ...................................................... 76 Introduction .................................................................................................... 76 5.1 Background .............................................................................................. 77 5.2 At the heart of it: time passing by ............................................................. 79 5.3 The importance of family ......................................................................... 83 5.4 Getting involved: church activities and events .......................................... 85 5.5 The contributions of God ......................................................................... 88 5.6 Reconsidering the contributions of the pastor ........................................... 89 Summary .......................................................................................................... 91 5.7 Background to the Elim Church ................................................................. 91 5.8 Building the church ................................................................................... 92 5.9 Building the individual ............................................................................. 97 Summary ........................................................................................................ 100 5.10 Enjoy the ride ........................................................................................ 101 5.11 Recognising individual contributions: Stephen Donald ............................ 106 5.12 Religious figures ..................................................................................... 109 Summary ........................................................................................................ 110 Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 111 Chapter 6 .............................................................................................................. 113 Preaching Orthodoxy: Identity in a diaspora church ........................................... 113 Introduction ................................................................................................... 113 6.1 Background ............................................................................................. 113 6.2 Building values ........................................................................................ 120 6.3 Material religion & ethnic identity ........................................................... 125 6.4: Growing the Church ............................................................................... 128 Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 141 Chapter 7 .............................................................................................................. 143 Advertising altruism: Identifying with the Salvation Army .................................. 143 Introduction ................................................................................................... 143 7.1 The advertisements .................................................................................. 146 7.2 Strategy 1: Common ground technique ................................................... 150 7.3 Strategy 2: Testimonials and the transcendent ‘we’ ................................. 159 7.4 Strategy 3: Unifying symbols ................................................................... 161 iii 7.5 Strategy 4: other rhetorical devices ......................................................... 162 Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 164 Chapter 8 .............................................................................................................. 166 The Everyday in the Public Eye .......................................................................... 166 Introduction ................................................................................................... 166 8.1 Background to Anglicanism and Presbyterianism ...................................... 167 8.2 Billboard communication ........................................................................ 170 8.3 Strategy 1: Pointing to common ground ................................................. 172 8.4 Strategy 2: Unifying symbols .................................................................. 182 8.5 Strategy 3: Other rhetorical devices ........................................................ 184 Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 185 Chapter 9 .............................................................................................................. 186 Discussion & Conclusions ................................................................................... 186 Introduction ................................................................................................... 186 9.1 Types of identities constructed ................................................................. 188 9.2 Getting to the how of it: research question 1 ........................................... 189 Summary ....................................................................................................... 200 9.3 Getting to the why of it: research question