Prejean, Evangelicals and Modernity
One of the stories circulating through evangelical websites is the Carrie Prejean thing. I have no interest in the story directly, but rather I am interested in the way in which evangelicals are using her as a kind of “proof” of the rightness of their convictions.
This is just confirmation that the evangelical church is mired in modernity: a religious dependence upon “science” as the foundation of faith. As Zizek has written: “Religious fundamentalists are among the most passionate digital hackers, and always prone to combine their religion with the latest findings of science: for them, religious statements and scientific statements belong to the same modality of positive knowledge” (In Defense of Lost Causes, 31).
Prejean is a kind of “specimen” that proves the argument for heterosexual marriage. Forget the fact that Word of God says it plainly already. Here is empirical proof that we have it right. She is a kind of Penthouse Joan of Arc in the minds of evangelical men everywhere (albeit a surgically enhanced Joan). Men, wholly embedded in the image, having no real knowledge of her person, are singing her praises.
As John Gray has said: “Religious fundamentalists see themselves as having remedies for the maladies of the modern world. In reality they are symptoms of the disease they pretend to cure” (ibid, 43).
2 comments
Christopher,
Two concerns. First, I think you characterized my piece. You said, “Men, wholly embedded in the image, having no real knowledge of her person, are singing her praises.” At the time of writing this piece, the only piece of evidence Prejean’s detractors had against her was her opinion of same-sex marriage. At that time, she responded to the slander with grace and kindness toward her detractors (namely Perez Hilton). It is more than fair to argue that these give evidence of Prejean’s good character.
However, I’m more concerned that you’re over-reaching in this essay. You say, “This is just confirmation that the evangelical church is mired in modernity: a religious dependence upon “science” as the foundation of faith.” You argue that Prejean offers evangelicals “proof” of their convictions.
I do not know of one single, leading evangelical that argued: “Carrie Prejean believes same-sex marriage a sin, therefore it is a sin.”
At best, you can argue that Christians rallied around the wrong spokesperson for their position – an argument I may even agree with. However, to point to the Prejean case as evidence for your bigger project of (rightly) accusing Evangelicals of falling victim to certain modern assumptions is erroneous.
Dustin,
I see your point about my over-reaching in regards to how I reached my conclusion. But, I still hold the same conclusion.
You defend your statements on the basis that they were made before other facts came to light. Granted. But, the fact that she willingly bares herself in public is clearly not a problem when it comes to the regard with which the church should hold her? You can consider me one of her detractors. Good characters come fully-dressed. Beauty is one thing, but immodest beauty is another. But that can be put aside in this case because she spoke out on a single value that chimes in with you and others? No. There is a whole matrix of issues here in regards to the Evangelical church in America, and much of it has to do with the basic orientation of the men in her midst — and I am not talking about sexuality, although that gets an expression. This was my point.
Men have skipped way past the marker of Biblical ethics when they are even spending time considering that this very thing has value for the church. Rewind a few steps. Men have generally abandoned a Biblical worldview regarding women, not to mention pretty much everything else. The patronization and debasing of women (holding out the lie of a place of authority in the church, the exploitation of their sexuality, and the general idea that the role of a woman lies in the same place as a man) is so fully embraced by men these days that this thing just sails on by. How many seminary grads made their wives work (or allowed their wives to “volunteer”- as any loving wife would) while they prepared to be ministers? Women have been besieged by the lie of feminism. Make sure you know which side you are on.
“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised”. — Proverbs 31:30
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