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The New Heretics: Popular Theology, Progressive Christianity and Protestant Language Ideologies

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The New Heretics: Popular Theology, Progressive Christianity and Protestant Language Ideologies The New Heretics: Popular Theology, Progressive Christianity and Protestant Language Ideologies by Rebekka King A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department for the Study of Religion University of Toronto © Copyright by Rebekka King 2012 The New Heretics: Popular Theology, Progressive Christianity and Protestant Language Ideologies Rebekka King Doctor of Philosophy Department for the Study of Religion University of Toronto 2012 Abstract This dissertation investigates the development of progressive Christianity. It explores the ways in which progressive Christian churches in Canada adopt biblical criticism and popular theology. Contributing to the anthropology of Christianity, this study is primarily an ethnographic and linguistic analysis that juxtaposes contemporary conflicts over notions of the Christian self into the intersecting contexts of public discourse, contending notions of the secular and congregational dynamics. Methodologically, it is based upon two-and-a-half years of in-depth participant observation research at five churches and distinguishes itself as the first scholarly study of progressive Christianity in North America. I begin this study by outlining the historical context of skepticism in Canadian Protestantism and arguing that skepticism and doubt serve as profoundly religious experiences, which provide a fuller framework than secularization in understanding the experiences of Canadian Protestants in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In doing so, I draw parallels between the ways that historical and contemporary North American Christians negotiate the tensions between their faith and biblical criticism, scientific empiricism and ii liberal morality. Chapter Two seeks to describe the religious, cultural and socio-economic worlds inhabited by the progressive Christians featured in this study. It focuses on the worldviews that emerge out of participation in what are primarily white, middle-class, liberal communities and considers how these identity-markers affect the development and lived experiences of progressive Christians. My next three chapters explore the ways that certain engagements with text and the performance or ritualization of language enable the development of a distinctly progressive Christian modality. Chapter Three investigates progressive Christian textual ideologies and argues that the form of biblical criticism that they employ, along with entrenched concerns about the origins of the Christian faith ultimately, leads to a rejection of the biblical narrative. Chapter Four examines the ways in which progressive Christians understand individual 'deconversion' narratives as contributing to a shared experience or way of being Christian that purposefully departs from evangelical Christianity. The final chapter analyses rhetoric of the future and argues that progressive Christians employ eschatological language that directs progressive Christians towards an ultimate dissolution. iii Acknowledgements I would like to begin by thanking the five congregations that are featured in this dissertation. I truly enjoyed the time I spent with each community and thank my friends at each location for their warmth and generosity. They deserve much more than acknowledgements because in many ways they are co-writers of this dissertation. I want to thank each of my interlocutors for challenging me to think outside the box about religion, theology and anthropology and to never take anything at face value. A special word of thanks and admiration to Karen, Dawn, Gretta, Elizabeth, 'Stan' and 'Mary-Ellen' for their wisdom, compassion and hospitality. I found myself truly inspired by their work, and along with proficiency in progressive Christianity, I have gained from them insight into what makes a good teacher, leader and friend. I was fortunate to receive funding and support from various sources, including, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the University of Toronto Graduate Fellowship and the UTSC Centre for Ethnography Writing Fellowship. Along with financial support, the Centre for Ethnography at the University of Toronto Scarborough provided me with office space and a congenial community with whom to think through the final big questions of this dissertation during the 2012 Winter term. I am so grateful to everyone at the Centre for Ethnography for their assistance during the final stages of my writing, namely Girish Daswani, Michael Lambek, Monika Sumra and Donna Young. Earlier in the writing process, I had the opportunity to be a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Studies in Religion and Society at the University of Victoria. A number of the themes developed in this dissertation emerged out of conversations during the CSRS's morning coffee hour and other community events. I am particularly grateful to the CSRS's iv director, Paul Bramadat, who has challenged me to pursue the public impact of my research alongside the academic components. Under his tutelage I have become a better researcher and teacher—I am so grateful for the time he took to offer me guidance and support. I would be remiss if I did not also make mention of Avigail Eisenberg and Marcia Ostashewski, whose resourceful advice and enthusiasm has likewise shaped this project. This is a dissertation that, in part, explores the ways that religious agents make sense of origins. I am fortunate to be able to trace my own academic genealogy to Michele Murray, Harvey White and Bruce Gilbert at Bishop's University. From them, I gained a strong foundation in the academic study of religion and their guidance allowed me to begin to imagine a project that would examine historical Jesus studies in contemporary society. I am so very grateful for their continued encouragement and friendship long after I was their student. I hope that in some way my accomplishments with this dissertation make my alma mater proud. It was Bill James, my MA supervisor at Queen's University, who first sent me on a field trip to George Street United Church in Peterborough to hear John Spong speak and later to West Hill United Church in Scarborough to interview Gretta Vosper about progressive Christianity. A whole new world of ethnographic research was opened up for me under Professor James' direction. As another scholar of religion recently pointed out that Professor James' work aids his audience in cultivating an appreciation of the aesthetics of religion. I can think of no greater compliment and can verify that as one of Professor James' students I developed keen observational skills and an attention to language and literature that continues to shape my writing. v Despite the emphasis that this project places on language and word choice, I am not sure that I will have the words to express how grateful I am to my dissertation committee. Pamela Klassen has been an exemplary supervisor and mentor in every way imaginable. Pushing me when I needed to be pushed and letting me sit back and muddle through ideas when I needed to let creative juices stew. Every time I arrived at her office with a new idea for the direction of this dissertation, I was amazed at Professor Klassen's extensive familiarity with the subject matter. She is a dynamic scholar and I have been so privileged to be the recipient of her guidance and her friendship. Since his arrival at the University of Toronto mid-way through my writing process, Simon Coleman has nurtured my development as an anthropologist and a scholar. His constructive criticism has kept me grounded in the writing process and profoundly shaped my interests in language ideologies and the anthropology of Christianity. Phyllis Airhart's enthusiasm for Canadian history is contagious, and I am so grateful to her for inspiring me to bring to life the historical figures featured in this dissertation so that they might serve as conversation partners with my ethnographic work. Additionally, I want to thank Professor Airhart for her close reading of the entire dissertation and for catching both grammatical and scholarly inconsistencies. Joe Bryant has been a dedicated supporter of this project from the very beginning. His ability to challenge his students to think in different ways and to clearly articulate the significance of their work has been a great benefit to my development as a scholar. I am so grateful for both his personal and professional support. Finally, it was an honour to have Kevin O'Neill and Matthew Engelke serve as external examiners of this dissertation as their work has deeply influenced how I think about cultural anthropology and the study of contemporary vi Christianity. I am so grateful for their feedback and their suggestions for developing this project in the future. In addition to my committee, I would like to thank John Kloppenborg, John Marshall, Stephen Scharper and Brian Walsh for their support of this project and my scholarly endeavors. Professors Kloppenborg and Marshall welcomed me into their classes and seminars on early Christianity and were enthusiastic supporters of a project that examined the contemporary significance of historical biblical criticism. Professor Scharper encouraged me to think about the importance of the roles of popular theology in the public sphere and helped me develop my own understanding of myself as a scholar in that field. Professor Walsh reminded on a regular basis of the weight of my research on not only academic circles but also faith communities. His constructive criticisms and alternative perspectives have contributed significantly to this project, as well as my pedagogical ambitions. In addition to the rich scholarly resources at the University of Toronto, several scholars have offered insight, encouragement and guidance through the researching and writing process. Lori Beaman, James Bielo, Jon Bialecki, Fenella Cannell, Kathryn Carrière, Janet Gunn, Naomi Haynes, Titus Hjelm, Craig Martin, Sean McCloud, Joel Robbins and David Seljak have all contributed to the development of this project and my own development as a scholar. One of the joys of studying at the Department for the Study of Religion at the University of Toronto is that my friends and graduate student colleagues are too numerous to list.
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