Mobilizing Faith

Religious inscriptions, vernacular identity, and urban belonging in Jordan

Bibliographic Data

ID3012153
AuthorsMarwan Jarrah (0000-0003-1528-7326, University of Jordan, corresponding author), Ola Musmar (0000-0001-9217-7791, University of Jordan), Ghaida Al-Quran (University of Jordan)
Year2025
Volume32
Issue3
Pages1-26
Publication date2025-09-11
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial Identities (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1350-4630 • E-ISSN: 1363-0296
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13504630.2025.2553906
OpenAlexW4414143260
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited37

This study investigates the use of religious inscriptions displayed on cars in Jordan as a visual-linguistic practice that indexes Islamic identity in public space. Drawing on Social Identity Theory and material semiotics, the research analyses 126 religious inscriptions documented over four months, supplemented by semi-structured interviews with 50 vehicle owners/drivers. The findings reveal that these inscriptions serve multiple functions: apotropaic protection, mnemonic reinforcement of moral values, and public assertions of Muslim cultural identity. Far from being ornamental, these inscriptions constitute mobile performances of piety that resist secular visual norms and re-inscribe sacred meaning onto state-regulated infrastructures. By situating these acts within the frameworks of vernacular religiosity and urban semiotics, the study offers new insights into how faith is spatialized, embodied, and circulated through everyday mobility. It contributes to broader debates on the politics of religious visibility, identity formation, and the contested boundaries of public religiosity in contemporary Arab contexts

Ethnography · Narrative · Vernacular · Archaeology and Historical Studies · Biblical Studies and Interpretation · Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies

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