Being Exceptional and Being an Exception
About seven years ago I gave a sermon entitled, “Not exceptions, but exceptional.” It was one of the most passionate sermons that I ever gave. A few of you might even remember it. I did not enjoy giving it, but I felt it was necessary. Let me explain. For some time (back then), I was thinking about the coordination between exceptions and being exceptional. It occurred to me that most people felt that they were exceptions to general rules, because in some sense they were exceptional. For instance, people who had demanding jobs were exceptions to the rules, since other people had easier jobs. Or people with more wealth were exceptions, because a certain level of status should include perquisites and prerogatives. Or a person with an advanced degree was an exception, because he or she was above the drivel of the masses. I also saw that it worked in different contexts as well with the same dynamic. If a person had a hard life, they, too, were exceptions, because other people had it easy compared to them, and the average person could not possibly understand how hard life had been. Mothers were also exceptions, because they were, well, mothers. Continue reading…
offers a theory on how rituals and symbols reflect the structure of society. The book is divided into two main sections. The first half of the book lays out methodological concerns, and the second half offers examples and test cases of how the methodology can be used.