Orthodoxy as Project: Temporality and Action in an American Protestant Denomination

Abstract

The term "orthodox" is often used to characterize religious communities who understand themselves to hold a stable set of practices or beliefs. However, as is the case with any group, orthodox communities experience ideological fragmentation and change. How then, do communities who identify as orthodox maintain the perception of orthodoxy in spite of ideological fragmentation and change? I describe activities engaged in by a conservative Protestant denomination in the service of orthodoxy. I draw on archival and field research in this denomination in order to demonstrate how the orthodox: (i) project future threats; (ii) develop strategies for obstruction; and (iii) coordinate in-group interactions.

Health or Politics? Organizational Maintenance in the AAFP

“…In the case of the AAFP same-gender marriage debate, the taking of a public stance has affected the organization both by alienating some conservative members and by strengthening the perceived role of frameworks such as SDH and social justice within the AAFP. Elsewhere, I have described the way that members of organizations attempt to manage ideological fragmentation and change (Brophy 2016). In the case of the AAFP, debates about topics such as same-gender marriage have the potential to shift how members perceive the central goals and identity of the organization.…”

“…In describing the construction of maintenance, I draw on recent theory about the way collectivities posit a relationship to the future. Recent sociological work has investigated how social actors' projections about the future motivate action (Brophy 2016;Jerolmack 2009Jerolmack , 2013Mische 2009;Polletta 2006;Tavory and Eliasoph 2013); for instance, narratives about the threat of decline over time may motivate collectivities to develop active strategies to resist such threats (Brophy 2016). In this way, organizational maintenance can be understood as a collective project shared by organization members (Mische 2009;Schutz 1967Schutz , 1978.…”

Ethnographic Theology: Integrating the Social Sciences and Theological Reflection

“…Unsurprisingly, when descriptions fail to fit idealized visions of theologically-guided practice, a "Christian researcher" is left uncomfortable, with a feeling that highly valued organizations and institutions are threatened, which tempts loyal writers and interpreters to reduce unwanted descriptions to be, at best, illustrations of the failure to hold to proper dogma. The threat to orthodoxy is palpable, and the need to protect the future of the Christianity represented by the institution is invoked (Brophy 2016). But is ethnographic theology intended to merely reproduce a dogmatic orthodoxy?…”

“…Yet, upon careful investigation, I see how often they miss out on what is actually happening. A key aspect of "vision language" involves the social management of group orthodoxy (see Brophy 2016). The first step of revealing found theologies is to be wary of the idealized perceptions promoted by leaders at the site.…”

Biblical Literalism Influences Perceptions of History as a Scientific Discipline

“…That is, if both an individual's identity and their perception of history are grounded in the Bible, then historical inquiry could become an almost religious endeavor. Brophy (2016) points to how orthodoxy among religiously conservative groups frames their identity in light of the past; they are the defenders of morality and push back against the onslaught of cultural relativism and modernity. In so doing, they also construct an outlook toward the future.…”