Let Death Seize Upon Them
Populism in Political Prayers of Imprecation
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6212344 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Cynthia Burack (0000-0001-7863-6963, The Ohio State University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2020 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 492-516 |
| Publication date | 2020-09-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Politics and Religion (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1755-0491 • E-ISSN: 1755-0483 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s1755048319000452 |
| OpenAlex | W3004839003 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 13 |
In the United States, religious elites routinely use prayer to set and communicate political agendas, shape the opinions of Christian publics, and mobilize political activism. Among political prayers distributed to believers, imprecation is rare. In this paper, I examine a set of cases of imprecatory political prayers publicized since the turn of millennium that have undeniable U.S. political subtexts and objects. Using the work of James Scott and Jan-Werner Müller, I argue that most political prayers of imprecation can fruitfully be read as manifestations of right-wing populism. These prayers reveal a hidden transcript of rage aimed not only at mainstream political arrangements and political elites but also at the comparatively polite discourse characteristic of mainstream U.S. Christian traditions, including much Christian conservatism
Conservatism · Mainstream · Politeness · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Populism · Prayer · Sociology · Law · Pentecostalism and Christianity Studies · Philosophy · Religion and Society Interactions · Religious studies · Theological Perspectives and Practices · Religious Studies
| Citations per year | 0.5 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2024 - 2024 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |