Abstract

This study focused on the language and symbolism concerning white supremacy and anti-racism used in the context of worship services, devotionals, and interviews within a white-dominant church in North Carolina—Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church (GCPC). Based on Pierre Bourdieu’s idea of embodiment and Bronwyn Davies’s theory on subject positioning, the race, gender, and religion of those in this study influenced their response to white supremacy culture. The church is put in the context of its denomination, PC(USA), and how its actions subvert or perpetuate white supremacy culture. Due to COVID-19, the majority of this project occurred online through Zoom and worship services uploaded to YouTube, which allowed for participant-observation and semi-structured interviews with staff members and congregants. GCPC addressed white supremacy in worship services, devotions, and church-sponsored events; the staff worked to emphasize how they and the congregation cannot ignore white supremacy. Throughout services, multiple images of Jesus as a man of color were used to redefine the prototypical image of Jesus within the congregation. The worship services followed a specific order that created flexibility for church leaders to emphasize their own beliefs surrounding how and why white supremacy is still prevalent. I found the repetition of phrases such as “siblings in Christ,” “racism is in our bodies,” and “take action” contributed to the internalization of deconstructing white supremacy as individuals and as a congregation. Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church is attempting to subvert white supremacy culture through language and symbols, which contributes to their anti-racist rhetoric.

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