Posts tagged "authority"

Notice To Impolite Topics Seekers

Welcome back!

Dear Seeker,

Thanks for stopping by.  I’ve stopped adding new posts on this blog to make way for two new blogs. The original Impolite Topics posts are still here and you are welcome to browse. 

Two New Blogs

Freedom From Bad Bible Bullies: Transform Your Bible Authority Stories To Claim Your Personal Freedom

This blog focuses on the use of Bible stories as weapons of power by “Bad Bible Bullies” against individuals. 

Bible Authority In American Politics: How radical claims about Bible authority hijack political  freedom in American politics.

This blog expands the focus from individuals to the larger society. It concerns the misuse of Bible stories by “Bad Bible Bullies” in American politics.

Freedom From Bad Bible Bullies and Bible Authority In American Politics are part of The Story Transformation Process.  

For more about The Story Transformation Process and my other blogs and websites, please visit my central website at Kalinda Rose Stevenson 

For Your Freedom,

Kalinda Rose Stevenson, Ph.D.

“The Story Transformer,”

Creator Of “The Story Transformation Process

“Does Religious Authority Override Secular Authority?”

When religious authority conflicts with political authority, which authority takes precedence?

Any consideration of the relationship between religion and politics in the United States must take into account that most churches, religious organizations, and ministers are tax exempt. Read more…

“What Authority Will You Obey Above All Others?”

What authority in your life is primary? Is it God? The Bible? The government? Some person? An organization? A business? Whom or what do you fear the most? Or to ask the question in a different way, what authority will you obey above all others? Read more…

“Is Godspeak A Biblical Language?”

“Words are static.  The world is dynamic.”
Dr. Ben Mack

I am a fan of crossword puzzles.  Occasionally the New York Times Crossword will provide a clue for a “biblical” word. The correct answer will be something like “shalt” or “hath.” Although I don’t get too annoyed by clues in crossword puzzles, every time I see this, I see it as a perpetuation of the idea that the King James English is authentic biblical language in a way that ordinary English of the early 21st century is not. Read more…

“The Relentless Cruelty of Claims To Authority”

Claims about authority are always personal, because they either increase or take away take personal power. And so rather than begin with an abstract study of authority, power, and persuasion, I will tell you a personal story. Read more…

“In The Name Of God: Authority, Persuasion, and Power”

What are the big theological questions? Is there a God? Who are you? Why are you here? What is the meaning of life? What happens when you die?

There is another big theological question that doesn’t get as much attention as these more obvious questions, but it is foundational to every religious ideology and every religious group: Who has the authority to speak in the name of God?

The question of authority is crucial to every religious discussion on any topic you can imagine.

This is the first article of what I intend to be an in-depth exploration of religious authority, especially related to the Christian Bible.

Before we can go any further, we need to look carefully at the word, “authority.”

I know that citing dictionary definitions of words tends to be the dullest possible way to start anything, but until we get clear about what the word “authority” means, we can’t get too far in recognizing claims to authority IN the Bible and claims to speak with the authority OF the Bible.

According to Merriam-Webster, “authority” is derived from the Latin “auctoritat,” which means “opinion, decision, power.” (It is also related to the English word, “author.”)

“Authority” has a range of meanings in English, but the one that I want to focus on is: “the power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behavior.”

Merriam-Webster also identifies these synonyms: “influence,” and “power,” In the vocabulary of this blog, I will often use the word “persuasion” as a synonym for “influence.”

The most critical point I want to make concerns the interrelationship between the three words: “authority,” “power,” and “influence.”  These words are synonyms, with meanings that overlap and intertwine. In other words, every claim to authority is simultaneously a claim to power. And every claim to power carries with it the power to influence thoughts, opinions, and behaviors.

This focus on the interrelationships between authority, power, and persuasion goes back to two specific intentions for “Impolite Topics. Religion, Power, And The Bible…For Seekers.”

• Impolite Topics: is about techniques of persuasion as weapons of power. It demonstrates how you are persuaded to believe what you believe. And it also reveals how the powerful benefit from your beliefs.
•  Most of all, “Impolite Topics” is a blog about how the Bible is used in our contemporary world as a tool of persuasion. Words are the most powerful weapons on earth. Words from the Bible are often used to persuade people to be silent and surrender their power.

At the outset of this exploration, I want to acknowledge my mentor and teacher, Dave Lakhani of Bold Approach, who knows more about persuasion than anyone I know. He encouraged me to address the question: “Where does the authority for the Bible come from?”  Thanks for the suggestion, Dave.  Let’s see where this question takes us.

Dr. Kalinda Rose Stevenson