Symbolic Filtering: Selectively Permeable Evangelical Boundaries in an Age of Religious Pluralism

Bok, Jared

doi:10.1111/jssr.12145

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Further, given the timeframe of our study, we are not able to assess whether Pastor Daniel's efforts produce long-lasting change in the congregation or denomination. Our findings clearly support the idea that boundary work is not only exclusive and self-aggrandizing in nature but can also be comprised of accommodation (Bok 2014) and unfavorable in-group evaluations (Shoshana 2007). As Bok (2014:822) notes, "symbolic filtering … enables boundary agents to cope within a religiously pluralistic environment without compromising on their core beliefs.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

“Man Looks at the Outward Appearance, God Looks at the Heart:” Inclusion and Identity in a High Boundary Religion

Walker

Fitzgerald

2021

Symbolic Interaction

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In this case study, we bring together literatures on identity and culture to examine the boundary work taking place within the United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI), a historically conservative denomination with a fundamentalist orientation toward Christian belief and practice. Our findings demonstrate that boundaries are subject to deviation-and even intentional alteration-at the local level. We introduce the concept of "self-effacing boundary work" to describe a strategy that deemphasizes exclusionary group practices and beliefs while simultaneously seeking to retain a unique group identity. Organizational leaders and idioculture play key roles in this process.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

“Man Looks at the Outward Appearance, God Looks at the Heart:” Inclusion and Identity in a High Boundary Religion

Walker

Fitzgerald

2021

Symbolic Interaction

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“…This resulted in a dominant discourse that used more theological language, insisting that the details of creation do not really matter, accompanied by strengthening a key boundary: that God is indeed the Creator. This weakening/strengthening mechanism is similar to the boundary work identified among missionaries by Jared Bok (2014). Relatedly, we also found rejection of Ham's boundary strengthening approach and attempts to avoid the topic as far as possible.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

Evangelicals, evolution, and inerrancy: a comparative study of congregational boundary work

Unsworth¹,

Ecklund

2021

Journal of Contemporary Religion

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A number of evangelical Christian denominations and networks uphold a specific doctrine of Scripture, stating that the Bible is the 'inerrant' word of God. Those who adhere to biblical inerrancy tend to reject literary interpretations of the creation accounts in the Bible and therefore to reject evolutionary theory. Indeed, evolution rejection frequently functions as a key boundary for biblical inerrantists that must be strictly maintained. In this comparative study, we analyse interview data and other materials to uncover the mechanisms by which evolution rejection as a boundary is strengthened, maintained or weakened within two evangelical church congregations that adhere to biblical inerrancy: one in London, UK, the other in Texas, US. We find significant differences in boundary work between the two congregations and consider how the interplay of three factors-1) orientation of the congregation (internal or external), 2) religious context (minority or majority), 3) boundary salience-may lead to boundary strengthening or weakening.

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Identity

Loveland¹

2016

Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research

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Symbolic Filtering: Selectively Permeable Evangelical Boundaries in an Age of Religious Pluralism

Abstract: Since Peter Berger's (1967

Cited by 3 publications

References 41 publications

“Man Looks at the Outward Appearance, God Looks at the Heart:” Inclusion and Identity in a High Boundary Religion

“Man Looks at the Outward Appearance, God Looks at the Heart:” Inclusion and Identity in a High Boundary Religion

Evangelicals, evolution, and inerrancy: a comparative study of congregational boundary work

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