Mendelson, Andrew L. (Andrew Lawrence), 1967-2020-11-042020-11-042015958157410http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12613/3281The purpose of this dissertation is to further clarify the role of mass media for evangelicals in negotiating religious identity. This project uses lived religion, cultural studies, and narrative identity as a framework. Over the course of seven months, I conducted participant observation in an American Baptist congregation, where I observed both their religious and media practices. Additionally, I conducted qualitative interviews with selected key congregants to get a fuller picture of both their media use and their narrative religious identity. I found that narratives about media and media use led participants to certain strategies of distancing and/or integrating media with their religious identity. Various narrative tools, such as maps, symbolic inventories, tropes, and spiritual anchors, were used by participants to juxtapose media with their religious practice. By using these tools, participants sought to gain more moral and religious certainty by using media as both a proxy for self and as a proxy for Others. As moral and religious uncertainty is a characteristic of modernity, I conclude that there may be ramifications for larger media use and moral thought.277 pagesengIN COPYRIGHT- This Rights Statement can be used for an Item that is in copyright. Using this statement implies that the organization making this Item available has determined that the Item is in copyright and either is the rights-holder, has obtained permission from the rights-holder(s) to make their Work(s) available, or makes the Item available under an exception or limitation to copyright (including Fair Use) that entitles it to make the Item available.http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/Mass CommunicationReligionNarrative IdentityReligionText