Keywords

Capitalism -- United States -- Religious aspects, Christianity and culture -- United States, Church, Clergy -- United States -- Attitudes, Evangelicalism -- United States, Middle class -- United States

Abstract

This study investigates the spiritual subjectivities of pastors in the Mainstream White Middle Class Evangelical Church in the context of American capitalism. The Evangelical church carries extreme amounts of power and influence in shaping the beliefs of individuals in American society. However, very little pointed research of pastors' spiritual subjectivities that guide their teachings and views in this sub-sect of church culture is present in academia. Anthropology, along with other disciplines, often focuses on dominant churches from an etic perspective of politics and power relations without fully considering the spiritual beliefs of pastors. This etic perspective can miss the deeply interwoven factors, including understanding of the Scriptures and pastors' role in their congregations, challenges associated with religious consumerist competition, and conceptualizations of church "success" that shape pastors subjectivities, and in turn help shape American Christian culture. Pastors navigate the tension between the broader capitalistic social forces and their spiritual and Biblical beliefs as many pastors of the church aim to change the unquestioned adherence to these ideals. Building on my seven years of experience as a pastor in the Orlando area and drawing on current research with a group of Evangelical pastors, I demonstrate in this study that although capitalistic social forces shape many ideals of individuals in the American Evangelical church culture, understanding pastors' spiritual subjectivities is crucial when investigating the influence of the church in America.

Notes

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Graduation Date

2011

Semester

Spring

Advisor

Mishtal, Joanna

Degree

Master of Arts (M.A.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Anthropology

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0003732

URL

http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0003732

Language

English

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Masters Thesis (Open Access)

Subjects

Dissertations, Academic -- Sciences, Sciences -- Dissertations, Academic

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