Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: Nationality, Power and Symbolic Trade-Offs Among Evangelical Protestants in Contemporary Northern Ireland

Nations and Nationalism, 13, 4, 2007

29 Pages Posted: 24 Jul 2012

See all articles by Jennifer Todd

Jennifer Todd

University College Dublin (UCD) - School of Politics and International Relations, Dublin

Claire Mitchell

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Date Written: January 10, 2007

Abstract

National identity is a symbolically complex configuration, with shifts of emphasis and reprioritisations of content negotiated in contexts of power. This paper shows how they occur in one post-conflict situation – Northern Ireland – among some of the most extreme of national actors – evangelical Protestants. In-depth interviews reveal quite radical shifts in the content of their British identity and in their understanding of and relation to the Irish state, with implications for their future politics. The implications for understanding ethno-religious nationalism, nationality shifts and the future of Northern Ireland are drawn out.

Keywords: National identity, power, evangelical Protestants, religion, Northern Ireland

Suggested Citation

Todd, Jennifer and Mitchell, Claire, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: Nationality, Power and Symbolic Trade-Offs Among Evangelical Protestants in Contemporary Northern Ireland (January 10, 2007). Nations and Nationalism, 13, 4, 2007, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2115606

Jennifer Todd (Contact Author)

University College Dublin (UCD) - School of Politics and International Relations, Dublin ( email )

Belfield
Dublin, 4
Ireland

Claire Mitchell

affiliation not provided to SSRN ( email )

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
19
Abstract Views
284
PlumX Metrics