‘Symbolic interaction forms’ versus ‘clichés’: On the function and impact of religious symbolizations in the evangelical milieu

The article illustrates Alfred Lorenzer's theory of socialization and symbolization and its usefulness for understanding the psycho-societal emergence of meaning. Using the example of Christian evangelicalism, the article describes the process by which experiences, events, and interactions are symbolized. In this specific case, a rigidified form of symbolization, with its ensuing ideological effects, strips meaning of its playful, tentative qualities and turns it into a dogma or compulsive force. Following Lorenzer, it is argued that this process calls on a ‘clichéd’ structure of ‘authentic’ and ‘secure’ identities.