Our Own Vine and Fig Tree: The Authority of History and Kinship in Mother Bethel
This ethnographic account of Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is based on Keyes' interpretation of ethnicity as kinship, culturally rather than biologically determined. In Mother Bethel, kin relations presently are established by commitment to the...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Sage Publications
1988
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| In: |
Review of religious research
Year: 1988, Volume: 29, Issue: 4, Pages: 369-384 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
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| Summary: | This ethnographic account of Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is based on Keyes' interpretation of ethnicity as kinship, culturally rather than biologically determined. In Mother Bethel, kin relations presently are established by commitment to the legacy of the founder, Richard Allen. Key episodes in Allen's life constitute models for action and definitions of goals. The community has been shaped by oppositional processes (racial discrimination in worship and gentrification) and opportunity processes (migration from the rural South to Philadelphia and changes in the members' socio-economic status). Ambiguity in the legal definition of the locus of political authority infuses charismatic leadership with especially critical impact. The viability of Mother Bethel is centered in the capacity of the pastor to activate the ritual process by invoking the authority and power of history and kinship. |
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| ISSN: | 2211-4866 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Review of religious research
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.2307/3511576 |