Description
Practical insights regarding the intersection of feminism and Evangelical Christianity has largely been ignored within academia despite the simultaneous rise of the women’s movement and the continuous stronghold that Evangelical Christianity maintains within the United States. As a result, the individual impact of communicatively reconciling these two identities has been grossly neglected. Because interpersonal communication utilized in day-to-day conversation affects epistemological understanding of society, an investigation exploring the ways in which feminists also communicate an Evangelical Christian identity provides important insight to how these patterns extend or stymie coherent identities for one’s mental, social, and spiritual health. To investigate these communicative strategies, this study utilizes a qualitative interview approach to capture themes demarcating tensions that arise due to one’s dual identity. Consequently, the ways in which individuals discursively reconcile feminist values and Evangelical Christianity is also discussed. The attitudes captured reflect tensions regarding family, higher education, and organizational membership as participants reconceptualize their personal definitions of Evangelicalism and feminism to overcome feelings of cognitive dissonance. Recommendations and further research for supporting individuals striving to reconcile divergent identities are suggested. Keywords: feminism, Evangelical Christianity, reconciling identities, discourse, biblical text
