Constructing Meaning and Group Identity Through the Gender Debate
The Case of Dutch Reformed Pietists on the Platform ‘Biblical Council M/F’
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22006363 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Tobias Cinjee (0000-0003-3434-2300, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), Hanneke Schaap-Jonker (0000-0002-0825-6188, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, corresponding author), Peter-Ben Smit (0000-0002-7450-571X, Utrecht University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | SAGE Open (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2158-2440 • E-ISSN: 2158-2440 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/21582440261429676 |
| OpenAlex | W7139968426 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 32 |
In this study, we examined the gender debate within the conservative Dutch reformed pietist community. Using social scientific methods, we conducted an empirical analysis of 65 opinion articles on the platform ‘Biblical Council M/F’, to analyze how theological interpretations of gender and gender diversity functioned in the context of processes of meaning making and construction of group identity. Selected articles referred to either ‘gender ideology’ or ‘order of creation’ (terminology used on the platform). Articles were coded per section in NVivo, in two rounds. Our findings show that, in constructing group identity, authors contrasted people adhering to biblical values with those who did not, or those acknowledging binary categories with ‘postmodernists’. We identified a mixture of biblical and common-sense arguments along the lines of biology, which were used to highlight male-female differences. Furthermore, authors accentuated potential loss of religious freedoms, and employed alarmist language, urging readers to speak up against progressive norms in society. To reinforce this call, authors cited other Christians, but also non-Christians, as they were seen as witnesses to moral ‘truths’. We conclude that used arguments and framings, often negative and politically reactive, are part of a discursive strategy and have implications for the identity and meaning system of community members, particularly for those not conforming to the community’s gender norms
Collective identity · Social constructionism · Social identity theory · Media, Religion, Digital Communication · Pentecostalism and Christianity Studies · Theological Perspectives and Practices
In Defense of Tradition
With malice toward none and charity for some
Odd Bedfellows, New Alliances
Religion/Spirituality, Stress, and Resilience Among Sexual and Gender Minorities
The Greening of Dutch Protestant Christianity (1960-2020)
Influencing Contextual Factors in the Religious Identity Development of Strict Reformed-Raised Emerging Adults in The Netherlands
Religiosity and prejudice revisited
Reading Romans 8 in Times of Ecological Crisis
‘This is a Call of God … or is it?’
Calvinism, Gender Ideology, and Relational Spirituality
Coping, Meaning Making and Resilience Within the Dutch Reformed Pietist Community During the Covid-19 Outbreak
Role of Religious Attendance and Identity Conflict in Psychological Well-being
The Social Identity Theory of Intergroup Behavior
The conservative uses of law
The social identity theory of leadership
Research
Late Abrahamic reunion? Religious fundamentalism negatively predicts dual Abrahamic group categorization among Muslims and Christians
Enemy of My Enemy? An Examination of Potential Religious Group Threat Effects on Racial Attitudes
Activating Christian religious concepts increases intolerance of ambiguity and judgment certainty
From parish to parliament
What are fundamentalist beliefs
Is LGBT progress seen as an attack on Christians
People both high and low on religious fundamentalism are prejudiced toward dissimilar groups
Gender Ideology
Religious Diversity in a 'Christian Nation
Diversity and family
Religion, politics, and support for same-sex marriage in the United States, 1988-2008
| Highly cited | No |
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