Punk Rock Preachers, Straight Edge, and the Prophetic Imagination
, abstract:, This article considers straight edge bands as having a “prophetic voice” in a seemingly “secular” subculture, simultaneously critiquing the present and envisioning an alternative future in the tradition of punk and many other forms of music. Straight edge is a global clean-living subcul...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2025
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| In: |
Journal of religion and popular culture
Year: 2025, Volume: 37, Issue: 2/3, Pages: 31-49 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | , abstract:, This article considers straight edge bands as having a “prophetic voice” in a seemingly “secular” subculture, simultaneously critiquing the present and envisioning an alternative future in the tradition of punk and many other forms of music. Straight edge is a global clean-living subculture with roots in the hardcore music scene. The author shows that collectively, straight edge “preachers” inspire many participants to action, to make changes in their lifestyles and engage in contentious politics. The scene and identity become reference points as participants expose and critique social inequalities including racism, patriarchy, and speciesism, amongst others. The author demonstrates that the prophetic imagination is collective, rather than individual; often “secular,” though still imbued with sacred meaning; and especially powerful when embodied by a diversity of marginalized voices. The author concludes by discussing the relationship between individuals, groups, and social structures, considering subcultures as meso-level “laboratories” where participants adopt, create, negotiate, practice, and contest broader social changes. Such groups and meso-level communities serve as spaces of experimentation, where participants engage at the micro-level with broader, macro-level problems. |
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| ISSN: | 1703-289X |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of religion and popular culture
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