Media and the Political Incentives of Strict Religion.

This paper analyzes media coverage of Mel Gibson’s controversial movie “The Passion of the Christ” to gain a better understanding of the categories used to comprehend the nation’s current political and religious divisions. The results reveal not so much a polarized nation as one that sees reality through separate prisms, one comprised of a particularistic strain of Christian ethics, the other of secular reason. The paper develops a theory for understanding the themes underlying the discourse to clarify the meaning of “moral issues.” It also explains their role in creating political divisions that promote strict religion and its political allies. The analysis also explains why there is little incentive to compromise. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]