EVERYDAY EVANGELICALS:

LIFE IN A RELIGIOUS SUBCULTURE AFTER THE BELFAST AGREEMENT

A New Perspective on Northern Irish Evangelicalism

Everyday Evangelicals

Gladys Ganiel, Irish School of Ecumenics, Trinity College Dublin (gganiel@tcd.ie)

Claire Mitchell, Queen’s University Belfast, (claire.mitchell@qub.ac.uk)

Religion & the NI Conflict

Religion as an ethnic marker

But, evangelicalism as especially important for Protestant identity

What is Evangelicalism?

Evangelicals 25 – 30 per cent of the Protestant population Emerged as a movement in 18th century

revivals What do evangelicals believe?

Must be ‘born again’ Bible is the inspired word of God Christ’s death on the cross was a historical event

necessary for salvation Christians must express their faith through social

action/evangelism

Evangelicalism & Macro Politics

Evangelicalism conceived in rigid social or political categories

Seen as a politicised religion, linked to conflict and boundary maintenance

Change to be expected in response to devolution

Micro-level Evangelicalism

Evangelicalism as a subculture based on beliefs as well as social relationships and networks.

Potential for subcultural resources to prompt change.

Findings: A Distinct Subculture

Some important intertwining of religion & politics, but five other significant ‘subcultural tools’

Centrality of ‘conversion’

ye must be born again!

Supernaturalism

Supernaturalism, attributing agency to God (often rather than to self)

Existential Questions

Predominance of existential questions (including fear of hell, meaning of life)

The Advocate

The importance of the ‘advocate’

Everyday Life

Devotional life and practice (prayer meetings, daily bible readings, networks)

Importance?

As evangelicals negotiate social & political change, they don’t just react to macro political changes or simply draw on the religio-political ideas and resources that have been emphasised in the academic literature.

They have a much greater religious repertoire for ‘making sense’ of change.

Trajectories of Change

Privatising

Moderating

Transforming

Trajectories of Change

Converting

Conserving

Exiting

Conclusions: Evangelicalism in a Plural Public Sphere