Christopher Brittain | University of Aberdeen (original) (raw)
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Papers by Christopher Brittain
The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Theology and Qualitative Research
Routledge eBooks, Dec 5, 2016
Anglican Theological Review, 2022
The legacy of Desmond Tutu is often framed according to one of two polarized trajectories. On one... more The legacy of Desmond Tutu is often framed according to one of two polarized trajectories. On one hand, his accomplishments are sometimes romanticized and his life and theology are viewed as a panacea of all South Africa’s struggles. On the other hand, he is often severely criticized for advocating idealistic notions of reconciliation and “rainbowism.” This essay challenges both understandings of Tutu’s legacy. Indeed, this refusal to adopt an either–or perspective on Tutu’s life and work—by either seeing him as representing the perfect solution to South Africa’s struggles, or a naïve and ineffective part of the problem—is itself consistent with how Tutu himself approached the challenges of his time. He is best understood as an African contextual theologian and as a pastor responding to immediate pastoral situations. It is precisely this approach to seeing beyond polarizing dualisms that is the most enduring aspect of Tutu’s legacy.
The Church, Migration, and Global (In)Difference, 2021
A commentary on 1 Peter created by the St Augustine Seminar in preparation for the 2021 Lambeth C... more A commentary on 1 Peter created by the St Augustine Seminar in preparation for the 2021 Lambeth Conference.
How to Critique Authoritarian Populism, 2021
Sociology of Religion, 2019
The Expository Times, 2013
Dialog, 2009
... Theology, Political Theory, and Pluralism: Beyond Tolerance and Difference By Kristen Deede... more ... Theology, Political Theory, and Pluralism: Beyond Tolerance and Difference By Kristen Deede Johnson. Randi Rashkover. ... Author Information. Department of Religion George Mason University 4400 University Drive, MS 3F1 Fairfax, VA 22030 USA rrashkov@gmu.edu. ...
... Ruth Craig helped nurture my initial appreciation for the aesthetic. ... Hitler's ri... more ... Ruth Craig helped nurture my initial appreciation for the aesthetic. ... Hitler's rise to power had immediate impact on Adorno and the Institute, as all of its members at the University immediately lost their jobs on political grounds. ...
Religion at Ground Zero : Theological Responses to Times of Crisis, 2011
Ecclesial Practices, 2016
Since January 2011, members of a mosque in Aberdeen, Scotland have been meeting to pray in an Epi... more Since January 2011, members of a mosque in Aberdeen, Scotland have been meeting to pray in an Episcopal Church. Based on ethnographic research in both congregations, this paper explores the reasons each community entered into the relationship, the public reaction that erupted when the existence of the arrangement was discovered, and how members of each group describe the benefits of the situation. The essay argues that this relationship is better described as an ‘inter-faith partnership’ rather than an ‘inter-faith dialogue’. Moreover, it is suggested that the relationship was successful largely due to this distinction. The discussion thus challenges the predominance of ‘dialogue’ as the primary model for conceiving interfaith relationships and engagements.
Journal of Contemporary Religion, 2011
Although Bourdieu's sociological project is a generalised sociology of religion, his work has not... more Although Bourdieu's sociological project is a generalised sociology of religion, his work has not been as influential among sociologists of religion as one might have expected it to be. In this paper we provide an overview of Bourdieu's analysis of religion, paying particular attention to key problems that have been identified in the literature, and suggesting how his work can be understood in such a way as to overcome these limitations. Drawing upon research by two of the authors of this current paper, we show how Bourdieu's sociology is helpful for understanding the conflicts over sexuality in the Anglican Communion.
Church History and Religious Culture, 2011
This document will continue to evolve as the IR expands. Additional guidelines will be drafted, a... more This document will continue to evolve as the IR expands. Additional guidelines will be drafted, as needed, over the coming months.
Sociology of Religion, 2011
The Conflict over 'homosexuality', which has embroiled the Anglican Communion over the past 15 ye... more The Conflict over 'homosexuality', which has embroiled the Anglican Communion over the past 15 years, has not primarily been a conflict about homosexuality, or even about sexuality per se. Rather, we argue that the conflict has been so intense because 'homosexuality' has become a salient symbol, to which different Anglican constituencies (Evangelical, Liberal, and Anglo-Catholic) have brought their own agenda. The conflict does not simply reflect a pre-existing division between 'liberal' and 'conservative', but the emerging schism reflects the construction of a new religiocultural identity of 'Anglican Orthodoxy', which has increasingly polarised the Communion. Drawing on interviews with 70 Anglicans directly affected by the conflict in the UK and North America (including and with particular focus on 18 bishops and archbishops) we explore the symbolic politics of homosexuality and the emergence of new configurations of Anglicanism. We suggest that the symbols of the conflict and the competing parties to the conflict are mutually constitutive constructions, and that attention to the processes of symbolic construction and manipulation are important for understanding the conflict.
Studies in Christian Ethics, 2014
This article analyses treatments of the freedom of choice in theological reflections on sexuality... more This article analyses treatments of the freedom of choice in theological reflections on sexuality. It explores common contradictions that often emerge in such accounts, including: the reaffirmation of disavowed simplicity, the affirmation of biological determinism at the expense of interpersonal values, and a distrust of choice, which effectively amounts to a choice not to choose. The article shows that while conservative Christian sexual ethicists often demonise individual freedom of choice, liberal theology often fetishises such freedom. These tensions are contrasted with Rowan Williams’s concept of the ‘body’s grace’, and Kathleen Roberts Skerrett’s notion of ‘incarnating the other’. The discussion shows that the contributions of each of these theologians require greater analysis of the contemporary social and cultural forces shaping contemporary sexual practices. The article explores this entwinement between sexuality and the ideal of freedom in contemporary culture by engaging ...
The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Theology and Qualitative Research
Routledge eBooks, Dec 5, 2016
Anglican Theological Review, 2022
The legacy of Desmond Tutu is often framed according to one of two polarized trajectories. On one... more The legacy of Desmond Tutu is often framed according to one of two polarized trajectories. On one hand, his accomplishments are sometimes romanticized and his life and theology are viewed as a panacea of all South Africa’s struggles. On the other hand, he is often severely criticized for advocating idealistic notions of reconciliation and “rainbowism.” This essay challenges both understandings of Tutu’s legacy. Indeed, this refusal to adopt an either–or perspective on Tutu’s life and work—by either seeing him as representing the perfect solution to South Africa’s struggles, or a naïve and ineffective part of the problem—is itself consistent with how Tutu himself approached the challenges of his time. He is best understood as an African contextual theologian and as a pastor responding to immediate pastoral situations. It is precisely this approach to seeing beyond polarizing dualisms that is the most enduring aspect of Tutu’s legacy.
The Church, Migration, and Global (In)Difference, 2021
A commentary on 1 Peter created by the St Augustine Seminar in preparation for the 2021 Lambeth C... more A commentary on 1 Peter created by the St Augustine Seminar in preparation for the 2021 Lambeth Conference.
How to Critique Authoritarian Populism, 2021
Sociology of Religion, 2019
The Expository Times, 2013
Dialog, 2009
... Theology, Political Theory, and Pluralism: Beyond Tolerance and Difference By Kristen Deede... more ... Theology, Political Theory, and Pluralism: Beyond Tolerance and Difference By Kristen Deede Johnson. Randi Rashkover. ... Author Information. Department of Religion George Mason University 4400 University Drive, MS 3F1 Fairfax, VA 22030 USA rrashkov@gmu.edu. ...
... Ruth Craig helped nurture my initial appreciation for the aesthetic. ... Hitler's ri... more ... Ruth Craig helped nurture my initial appreciation for the aesthetic. ... Hitler's rise to power had immediate impact on Adorno and the Institute, as all of its members at the University immediately lost their jobs on political grounds. ...
Religion at Ground Zero : Theological Responses to Times of Crisis, 2011
Ecclesial Practices, 2016
Since January 2011, members of a mosque in Aberdeen, Scotland have been meeting to pray in an Epi... more Since January 2011, members of a mosque in Aberdeen, Scotland have been meeting to pray in an Episcopal Church. Based on ethnographic research in both congregations, this paper explores the reasons each community entered into the relationship, the public reaction that erupted when the existence of the arrangement was discovered, and how members of each group describe the benefits of the situation. The essay argues that this relationship is better described as an ‘inter-faith partnership’ rather than an ‘inter-faith dialogue’. Moreover, it is suggested that the relationship was successful largely due to this distinction. The discussion thus challenges the predominance of ‘dialogue’ as the primary model for conceiving interfaith relationships and engagements.
Journal of Contemporary Religion, 2011
Although Bourdieu's sociological project is a generalised sociology of religion, his work has not... more Although Bourdieu's sociological project is a generalised sociology of religion, his work has not been as influential among sociologists of religion as one might have expected it to be. In this paper we provide an overview of Bourdieu's analysis of religion, paying particular attention to key problems that have been identified in the literature, and suggesting how his work can be understood in such a way as to overcome these limitations. Drawing upon research by two of the authors of this current paper, we show how Bourdieu's sociology is helpful for understanding the conflicts over sexuality in the Anglican Communion.
Church History and Religious Culture, 2011
This document will continue to evolve as the IR expands. Additional guidelines will be drafted, a... more This document will continue to evolve as the IR expands. Additional guidelines will be drafted, as needed, over the coming months.
Sociology of Religion, 2011
The Conflict over 'homosexuality', which has embroiled the Anglican Communion over the past 15 ye... more The Conflict over 'homosexuality', which has embroiled the Anglican Communion over the past 15 years, has not primarily been a conflict about homosexuality, or even about sexuality per se. Rather, we argue that the conflict has been so intense because 'homosexuality' has become a salient symbol, to which different Anglican constituencies (Evangelical, Liberal, and Anglo-Catholic) have brought their own agenda. The conflict does not simply reflect a pre-existing division between 'liberal' and 'conservative', but the emerging schism reflects the construction of a new religiocultural identity of 'Anglican Orthodoxy', which has increasingly polarised the Communion. Drawing on interviews with 70 Anglicans directly affected by the conflict in the UK and North America (including and with particular focus on 18 bishops and archbishops) we explore the symbolic politics of homosexuality and the emergence of new configurations of Anglicanism. We suggest that the symbols of the conflict and the competing parties to the conflict are mutually constitutive constructions, and that attention to the processes of symbolic construction and manipulation are important for understanding the conflict.
Studies in Christian Ethics, 2014
This article analyses treatments of the freedom of choice in theological reflections on sexuality... more This article analyses treatments of the freedom of choice in theological reflections on sexuality. It explores common contradictions that often emerge in such accounts, including: the reaffirmation of disavowed simplicity, the affirmation of biological determinism at the expense of interpersonal values, and a distrust of choice, which effectively amounts to a choice not to choose. The article shows that while conservative Christian sexual ethicists often demonise individual freedom of choice, liberal theology often fetishises such freedom. These tensions are contrasted with Rowan Williams’s concept of the ‘body’s grace’, and Kathleen Roberts Skerrett’s notion of ‘incarnating the other’. The discussion shows that the contributions of each of these theologians require greater analysis of the contemporary social and cultural forces shaping contemporary sexual practices. The article explores this entwinement between sexuality and the ideal of freedom in contemporary culture by engaging ...