Description

Evangelical Protestantism in Ulster is the most influential and historically significant sector of Christianity in Northern Ireland. It is often associated only with the controversial figure of Ian Paisley, but this book includes fresh analysis of a spectrum of Evangelical opinion. Covering the period from Partition in 1921 to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, Patrick Mitchel explores why and how Evangelical Christians are deeply divided over politics, national identity, and the current Peace Process. The result is an original and significant study that provides an invaluable guide to understanding both the past and contemporary mindset of Ulster Protestantism.

Features

• Unique comparative assessment of the interaction between religion and nationalism in Northern Ireland.
• Includes comments on recent events - for example, the current suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly
• Controversial - it challenges particularly Paisleyism and Orangeism within terms of their own belief systems
• Innovative - it offers an fresh interpretation of Paisleyism from previous theories of Bruce, Smyth, and Taylor
• Provides a rounded picture of Ulster Evangelicalism by fresh or new analysis of other, unresearched or overlooked, Evangelical identities
• Focuses on key contemporary themes of belonging, identity and culture
• Offers an inside look at an important component of Northern Irish society which in turn provides a valuable context for understanding increasing Protestant fragmentation in the Peace Process era
• Takes religion seriously as a factor in the conflict in Northern Ireland and shows how, for Evangelicals, radically differing interpretations of what the Bible says to the conflict are vital to understanding Evangelical attitudes and actions in the post-Good Friday Agreement era

Product Details

376 pages; 2 figures; ISBN13: 978-0-19-925615-0ISBN10: 0-19-925615-2

About the Author(s)