Capturing the Chimera: Ideology and Persuasion in the Rhetoric of Soulforce

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dc.contributor.authorNull, Matthew Todden
dc.contributor.committeechairWaggenspack, Beth M.en
dc.contributor.committeememberSewell, Edward H. Jr.en
dc.contributor.committeememberTedesco, John C.en
dc.contributor.departmentCommunication Studiesen
dc.date.accessioned2014-03-14T20:42:11Zen
dc.date.adate2008-08-14en
dc.date.available2014-03-14T20:42:11Zen
dc.date.issued2008-05-08en
dc.date.rdate2008-08-14en
dc.date.sdate2008-07-29en
dc.description.abstractFor more than half a century, gay rights organizations have sought cultural and political equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals in society. The organization Soulforce continues that legacy, but from a distinctive perspective. Soulforce, has positioned itself in a unique playing field by speaking directly to religious leaders and organizations in attempt to alter their ideological underpinnings and subsequently garner their support for LGBT individuals. This level of persuasion is particularly difficult due to the fact that religious ideology is so strongly held and protected in American society. To evaluate the persuasive rhetoric of Soulforce, I conducted an ideological criticism of the documents published within the Soulforce website based on the foundation of McGee’s ideograph. The ideographs presented throughout the discourse coalesce to form the overarching ideology of Soulforce evidenced in the discourse. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals experience unwarranted <suffering>, <injustice> and <discrimination> as a direct result of the <untruth> promoted by the religious institutions of America. This <untruth> is the consequence of Biblical misinterpretation coupled with the misunderstanding of modern scientific research resulting in fear and hate that subsequently cultivate <violence> and <suffering>. Only by directly confronting <untruth> with <truth> and exchanging <suffering> with <voluntary suffering> can the LGBT community educate the misinformed thereby delivering their own <justice>, <equality> and full acceptance within society.en
dc.description.degreeMaster of Artsen
dc.identifier.otheretd-07292008-012620en
dc.identifier.sourceurlhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-07292008-012620/en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/34241en
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.relation.haspartTitlePageAndAbstract.pdfen
dc.relation.haspartDedicationAndAcknowledgedments.pdfen
dc.relation.haspartMastersThesisBody.pdfen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectGay Rightsen
dc.subjectSocial Movementsen
dc.subjectReligious Righten
dc.subjectMel Whiteen
dc.subjectSoulforceen
dc.subjectChristianityen
dc.subjectRhetoricen
dc.subjectIdeologyen
dc.subjectIdeographen
dc.titleCapturing the Chimera: Ideology and Persuasion in the Rhetoric of Soulforceen
dc.typeThesisen
thesis.degree.disciplineCommunication Studiesen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.levelmastersen
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Artsen

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