'Anti-Churchianity, Discursive Christianity, and Religious Change in the Twentieth-Century'

Abstract

This article identifies an important contour of “discursive Christianity” in early-twentieth-century New Zealand. It examines the widespread appeal of an image of Jesus as a “stranger” and prophetic critic of the churches—an image that was utilized by reformists of both church and society, in ecclesiastical contexts and beyond. The discourse is interpreted as a language of piety. Recognizing the shape of the discourse and the extent of its appeal, sheds light on important processes of religious change during the twentieth-century.