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The Priesthood Of Nationalism In Egypt: Duty, Authority, Autonomy, Benjamin Geer
The Priesthood Of Nationalism In Egypt: Duty, Authority, Autonomy, Benjamin Geer
Benjamin Geer
This thesis considers the effects of nationalism on the autonomy of intellectuals in Egypt. I argue that nationalism limits intellectuals’ ability to challenge social hierarchies, political authority and economic inequality, and that it has been more readily used to legitimise new forms of domination in competition with old ones. I analyse similarities between religion and nationalism, using the sociological theory of Pierre Bourdieu together with cognitive linguistics. Focusing mainly on the similarities between priests and nationalist intellectuals, and secondarily between prophets and charismatic nationalist political leaders, I show that nationalism and religion are based on relatively similar concepts, which lend …
Prophets And Priests Of The Nation: Naguib Mahfouz’S Karnak Café And The 1967 Crisis In Egypt, Benjamin Geer
Prophets And Priests Of The Nation: Naguib Mahfouz’S Karnak Café And The 1967 Crisis In Egypt, Benjamin Geer
Benjamin Geer
Similarities between religion and nationalism are well known but not well understood. They can be explained by drawing on Pierre Bourdieu's sociological theory in order to consider symbolic interests and the strategies employed to advance them. In both religion and nationalism, the “strategy of the prophets” relies on charisma while the “strategy of the priests” relies on cultural capital. In 20th-century Egypt, nationalism permitted intellectuals whose cultural capital was mainly secular, such as Naguib Mahfouz, to become “priests of the nation” in order to compete with the ʿulamaʾ for prestige and influence. However, it severely limited their autonomy, particularly after …