Social Identities Between the Sacred and the Secular (Ashgate AHRC/ESRC Religion and Society)

Focusing on the important relationship between the 'sacred' and the 'secular', this book demonstrates that it is not paradoxical to think in terms of both secular and sacred or neither, in different times and places. International experts from a range of disciplinary perspectives draw on local, national, and international contexts to provide a fresh analytical approach to understanding these two contested poles. Exploring such phenomena at an individual, institutional, or theoretical level, each chapter contributes to the central message of the book - that the 'in between' is real, embodied and experienced every day and informs, and is informed by, intersecting social identities. Social Identities between the Sacred and the Secular provides an essential resource for continued research into these concepts, challenging us to re-think where the boundaries of sacred and secular lie and what may lie between. Introduction -- What Lies Between : Exploring The Depths Of Social Identities Between The Sacred And The Secular -- Part I. The Public Space. The Religion-secular In International Politics : The Case Of Religious Ngos At The United Nations -- Sartorially Sacred Or Fashion Faux Pas? Visual Interpretations Of Modesty Online -- Acute Ambiguity : Towards A Heterotopology Of Hospital Chaplaincy -- Part Ii. The Social, Identity-dominated Space. Euro-american Ethnic And Natal Christians : Believing In Belonging -- Multiple Versus Unitary Belonging : How Nepalis In Britain Deal With Religion -- Queer Quakers : Negotiating Post-christian Selfhoods Within The Liberal Sphere -- I've Been Christened, But I Don't Really Believe In It : How Young People Articulate Their (non-)religious Identities And Perceptions Of (non-)belief -- Betwixt And Between : A Canadian Perspective On The Challenges Of Researching The Spiritual But Not Religious -- Part Iii. The Methodological Space. The Secular Sacred : In Between Or Both/and? -- The Sounds Of Silence : Searching For The Religious In Everyday Discourse -- Researching The Non-religious : Methods And Methodological Issues, Challenges And Controversies -- Mapping Religion -- Or Something, I Don't Know What? : Methodological Challenges Exploring Young Peoples' Relations With Religion. Edited By Abby Day, Giselle Vincett, Christopher R. Cotter. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 205-228) And Index. Introduction What lies between : exploring the depths of social identities between the sacred and the secular part I. The public space. The religion-secular in international politics : the case of "religious" NGOs at the United Nations Sartorially sacred or fashion faux pas? Visual interpretations of modesty online Acute ambiguity : towards a heterotopology of hospital chaplaincy part II. The social, identity-dominated space. Euro-American ethnic and natal Christians : believing in belonging Multiple versus unitary belonging : how Nepalis in Britain deal with "religion" Queer Quakers : negotiating post-Christian selfhoods within the liberal sphere "I've been christened, but I don't really believe in it" : how young people articulate their (non- )religious identities and perceptions of (non- )belief Betwixt and between : a Canadian perspective on the challenges of researching the spiritual but not religious part III. The methodological space. The secular sacred : in between or both/and? The sounds of silence : searching for the religious in everyday discourse Researching the non-religious : methods and methodological issues, challenges and controversies Mapping "religion" or "something, I don't know what"? : methodological challenges exploring young peoples' relations with "religion."