Beyond Boundaries
At the Intersection of Queerness and Religion in the Bible Belt: Christianity as Hyper-marginalization for LGBTQIA+ Community
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Merrick Sloane
Growing up in the Bible Belt (an extremely conservative area of the United States), specifically in the state of Oklahoma, carries with it an air of menace for youth and adults that fall under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella. Even today, in the aftermath of marriage equality, the Midwest is still stagnant in terms of progression. This immobility is coddled by the overwhelming number of Christian-affiliated spaces (churches, restaurants, boutiques), rhetoric, motifs, and paraphernalia packed into square footage. Not only do these items take up spaces of their own and give a sense of overcrowding to those marginalized by them, they intentionally creep out into LGBTQ+ spaces like Pride via protests or acts of saviorism. On an average day, even just a trip to one’s neighborhood grocery store, one can pass more than five churches. This does not include bumper stickers, advertisements, salutations that one will undoubtedly come into contact with before, during, and/or after. Though these occurrences may not be intentionally aggressive or threatening (quite often they are), they carry with them the same abusive connotations that the majority of LGBTQ+ individuals in the Midwest endure. Religious motivations are often at the root of the vilification of openly queer individuals. The overwhelming nature of Christian institutions and teachings causes heightened detrimental effects on the mental health of an already ostracized, minoritized community. This research interrogates and uncovers the aforementioned issues through written word, photographs, and localized maps.
Featured The Theopoetics of Father Raymond Roseliep View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Nicky Gutierrez
Dr. Reverend Raymond Roseliep was a Catholic priest and haiku poet who through the means of poetry brought up theological themes which served as a “common” mode of experiencing spirituality. Through his poetry, Roseliep created a public theological conversation with his readers and audience who might be spiritual but probably were not Catholic. His haiku pushed the boundaries for his time as he wrote about spirituality and experimented with the haiku form. He also wrote about themes that would be scandalous for him to write about as a priest. Because of the origin of haiku, Roseliep came into contact with Buddhism and was influenced by its philosophy and aesthetic. In some of his haiku, he created interfaith poems that drew from the wells of both traditions to show the mystery of the Divine. His published haiku, his essays on poetry, and interviews show how deep his views on the sacramental nature of poetry were and how the poet was coworking with God. A close reading of his work gives a robust understanding of his theopoetics and his sacramental poetics. His poetry serves as a bridge and as a model for the common person to enter into conversations about the Divine. This paper considers how a priest like Roseliep can express his sacramental and theopoetic beliefs publicly outside of the context of the Church through the medium of poetry and how poetry can be a means of theological reflection for both clergy and the laity.
The Holy Name Society : Catholic Masculinity in the United States during the Papacy of Pius XI (1921-1939) View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Alfonso Gómez-Rossi
The Papacy of Pius XI witnessed the emergence of new political and economic regimes that promoted types of masculinity that conflicted with Christianity. Under the new governments that emerged in the post-war order, Christianity was disparaged for promoting a particular kind of masculinity defined by the new political regimes as "feminine" and "weak," particularly when viewed through the lens of Nietzsche's writings. The Papacy of Pius XI promoted a particular type of masculinity for the laity through the devotion of Christ the King and the promotion of Catholic Action. In the United States, the Catholic Church sought to encourage men to join the Society of the Holy Name, a devotion that had emerged in the thirteenth century but became an important organization within the American Catholic Church in the first three decades of the twentieth century and which sought to reinforce a vigorous Catholic masculinity through the fight against three foes: atheists and those who blasphemed against Christ through the use of profanity and obscene speech. This paper explores the type of masculinity the Holy Name Society promoted and the type of masculinity it attempted to encourage.
Pagan Faith Identities within Social Networking Spaces - Narratives of the Instafamous Witch: A Case Study of Three Witches and Their Celebrity Status View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Maggie Webster
The primary aim of this study is to understand how witches become celebrity using social networking spaces through performing their witch identities. Using and developing Deleuze and Guattari’s Rhizome Theory I explore the plateaus where witches have hundreds if not thousands of followers and thereby become ‘instafamous’ and celebrity. This paper explores the concept of the Celebrity-Witch through analysing how self-identified witches network through complicated pathways that cannot be re-created, and through the symbiotic relationships within them. The rhizomatic and mycelium networks support the evolution of faith and witch identity. The presentation of witch truths resonates with large groups of people, hence creating popularised forms of Witchcraft. A witch becomes an influencer or celebrity because they are considered by the online population to be credible, attractive and authentic in addition to offering alternative ontologies of Witchcraft and Witch identities. Initially celebrity witches may not have intended to brand themselves but have become a branded-celebrity due to the networked nature of social media and the platform’s purpose. Zappavigna (2014) argues that blogging is social and although the comments are personal, they are not always about presenting a brand but are intended to create a community of feeling. The interpersonal online relationship with the community creates trust in the authenticity of the Celebrity-Witch. Thus, influencing people who are exploring their witch-identity and potentially creating a new movement of Witchcraft.
