A Clash of Symbols in Northern Ireland: Divisions between Extremist and Moderate Protestant Elites
The image of a clash of symbols not only represents a conflict between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland, but also the relationship between groups of Protestants, moderates and extremists, who find themselves on opposing sides of the political arena today. This paper suggests that differ...
| 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
1989
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| In: |
Review of religious research
Year: 1989, Volume: 30, Issue: 4, Pages: 360-374 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
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| Summary: | The image of a clash of symbols not only represents a conflict between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland, but also the relationship between groups of Protestants, moderates and extremists, who find themselves on opposing sides of the political arena today. This paper suggests that different groups of Protestants have conflicting images of God and of the meaning of religion for their lives, and that these clashing symbols impact significantly upon their political beliefs and positions. The data presented are taken from interviews with Protestant politicians in Ulster during the summer of 1986. Not only are there strong denominational and frequency of practice differences among the parties, there are also significant differences on religious belief variables such as orthodoxy, views on ecumenism, and image of God. A large majority of these elites consciously link their political views to their religious views, though they do so in significantly different ways. These religious views are not linked to economic ideological positions, but they are tied to views on moral issues and views on South Africa, as well as to willingness to cooperate with Roman Catholic nationalists politically. |
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| ISSN: | 2211-4866 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Review of religious research
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.2307/3511297 |