Onward Christian Soldier?: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Discourses of 'Biblical' Masculinity in 'Neo-Muscular' Christian Men's Groups

前进的基督教士兵？：对“新肌肉”基督教男性团体中“圣经”男子气概话语的批判性话语分析

• 批准号: 2589553
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2021 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2589553
• 关键词: Onward; Christian; Soldier; Critical; Discourse

The aim of this research is to explore and interrogate the ways in which the prominent discourse of masculinity within neo-muscular conservative evangelical Christian Men's groups (such as the Promise Keepers USA, the Mighty Men South Africa, and the Aryan Jesus movement of 1930s Europe) are manifested and perpetuated through symbolically violent, hyper-masculinised theological discourses. Within the resources these groups provide- such as sermons and other preaching material, books, podcasts, and speeches at conferences- combative imagery in the form of militarised metaphor, sports metaphor, brotherhood metaphors and nostalgic familial metaphors are utilised to promote a problematic outworking of masculinity. The use of militarised imagery, for example, serves to define those with alternative ideas about masculinity as 'enemy', whom it is incumbent on a 'real man' to 'defeat', fostering environments of hostility and shame for those who do not conform to hegemonic masculinity. Using a methodology rooted in Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and Critical Metaphor Analysis (CMA), my research aims to expose and problematise the intersection between colonialism, nationalism, homophobia, and masculinity which underpins the theological discourses about masculinity expressed by these movements through combative metaphor. Through analysing the resources of these groups within a CMA framework, a hierarchy of metaphors, conceptual metaphors and conceptual metaphorical keys is revealed, highlighting the ways in which what is promoted as 'biblical theology' regarding gender, is inherently founded in deep-rooted concerns about national identity, the conquest of land, political power dynamics, familial belonging, and fears of emasculation. This results in biblical texts and preaching being hyper-masculinised through combative language and being subsequently deployed as weapons against 'culture' by men's groups to promote a hegemonic, heteronormative and arguably, toxic 'biblical manhood'. In the latter part of the thesis I will offer alternative hermeneutical models for engaging with the hyper-masculinised theological and biblical discourses expressed through 'Muscular Christian' men's groups. The way in which the creation of metaphor requires a bridge of understanding between the speaker and listener, I will argue, makes for a creative, collaborative engagement, building connection between the participants in dialogue. Through a CMA framework, I will therefore examine whether within the varied host of problematic metaphors used to embody theological ideologies, more affiliative metaphors might offer some traction for modifying some of the other more violent, aggressive, or conflictual models of masculinity and opening constructive dialogue between opposing viewpoints.

本研究的目的是探索和询问新肌肉保守派福音派基督教男性团体（例如美国诺言守护者、南非伟人和20世纪30年代欧洲的雅利安耶稣运动）中突出的男子气概话语是如何通过象征性暴力、过度男性化的神学话语来体现和延续的。在这些团体提供的资源中--如布道和其他布道材料、书籍、播客和会议演讲--以军事化隐喻、体育隐喻、兄弟情谊隐喻和怀旧家庭隐喻的形式出现的好斗形象被用来促进男性气质的有问题的外展。例如，使用军事化的形象，有助于将那些对男性气质有不同看法的人定义为“敌人”，“真实的男人”有责任“击败”他们，为那些不符合霸权男性气质的人营造敌意和羞耻的环境。使用植根于批评话语分析（CDA）和批评隐喻分析（CMA）的方法，我的研究旨在揭露和问题化殖民主义，民族主义，同性恋恐惧症和男性气质之间的交叉点，这些运动通过好斗的隐喻表达了关于男性气质的神学话语。通过分析CMA框架内的这些群体的资源，层次的隐喻，概念隐喻和概念隐喻的关键是揭示，突出了什么是促进“圣经神学”关于性别的方式，本质上是建立在根深蒂固的关注民族认同，征服土地，政治权力动态，家庭归属感，和阉割的恐惧。这导致圣经文本和讲道通过好斗的语言被过度男性化，随后被男性团体用作反对“文化”的武器，以促进霸权，异性恋和可以说是有毒的“圣经男子气概”。在论文的后半部分，我将提供另一种诠释学模型，用于与通过“肌肉基督徒”男性团体表达的超男性化的神学和圣经话语进行接触。我认为，隐喻的创造需要在说话者和倾听者之间架起一座理解的桥梁，这有助于创造性的、协作性的参与，在对话的参与者之间建立联系。因此，通过CMA框架，我将研究是否在各种各样的主机有问题的隐喻用来体现神学意识形态，更亲和的隐喻可能会提供一些牵引力修改其他一些更暴力，侵略性，或冲突的男性气概模型和开放的建设性对话对立的观点。