Applying Affect Theory to Studies of Legislative Prayer: Analyzing the Abortion Debate

Legislative prayer is a common practice within local, state and federal legislative forums. Despite Supreme Court cases which have challenged the constitutionality of government-sanctioned prayer, legislative prayer persists as a constitutional political tradition within legislative forums. Prayers are offered regardless of what issues are deliberated upon, this has the potential to create tension when proposed bills are on issues that are religiously charged. Given the religious nature of anti-choice arguments, I argue that prayers prior to debates about abortion have the potential to change the affect within the political atmosphere. I transcribed a series of prayers offered prior to state legislative sessions which included deliberation and/or votes on bills pushing for abortion restrictions. Using these prayers, I investigate the rhetorical strategies used in legislative prayers in order to understand how these rhetorical strategies implicate affect within the political sphere.

Grantor dc:publisher

Wake Forest University

Year dc:date.issued

2017

Author dc:creator

• Langr, Madeleine Eliza

• Abortion

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10339/82234

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:wakespace.lib.wfu.edu:10339/82234