Blog 4: Religious Authority

Dr. Campbell used a definition of authority from (Lincoln, 1994, p.4) He defined Authority as, "effect of a position, perceived or institutionally ascribed asymmetry between speaker and the audience that permits certain speakers to command not just the attention but the confidence, respect, and trust of their audience, -or an important proviso- to make audiences act as if this were so."

Logics that Shape Religious Authority online are put into three different categories

1. Logic of Disjuncture and Displacement

2. Logic of Continuity and Complementary

3. Logic of Dialectics and Paradox

In the case of "Republican Jesus" the logic that shapes the religious authority of this online meme is "Logic of Dialectics and Paradox," because the string of memes both empowers and undermines religious authority. It creates conflicting tensions and uneven gains; conflicting tendencies of mediated religious authority. "Republican Jesus" uses offline traditional authority of the structural and cultural (divine) hierarchy of Jesus Christ and his teachings, but then takes those principles of authority to undermine and contradict the religious authority of Conservative Republicans. The meme tries to strip away and connection between the political stances of the Conservative Republican and Christianity. Therefore, the "Republican Jesus" meme does not replace traditional authority with new media authority, but rather it takes away authority of Conservative Republicans and reinforces the traditional authority of Jesus Christ.

Toward the end of Matthew’s gospel, Jesus summarizes what the life of following his example requires succinctly: "I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me . . . Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." Republican Jesus? A different attitude entirely. This is a direct example of how "Republican Jesus" contradicts the teachings of Jesus in the Bible.

The meme below is an example of how the Christian Conservative Republican feels strongly in voting for Donald Trump and actually believe that that what is what Jesus would want them to do, even though this quote below is clearly not in the Bible. Therefore, these Christian Conservative Republicans are assuming this authority, from Jesus, to vote for other Republican nominees, but "Republican Jesus" undermines that authority by showing that the views are contradictory.