The Metaphor of War
and
The Salvation Army
Home Page
Overview
Scriptural Support
Salvation Army History
Language associated with organization
Language associated with function
Non-lingual support of the metaphor
Key Concepts/Doctrines
Physical representations of Key Concepts
Key Concept Resistance to the Metaphor
Glossary of Salvation Army Terms
Overview
For Christians the idea that the spiritual life is (like) a battle is found in Scripture. The East London Christian Mission took that concept of warfare and adopted it as a way of being in the world, renaming themselves The Salvation Army. They enhanced this image of themselves as soldiers and officers with uniforms and brass bands.
Two key concepts or doctrines, salvation and holiness, as represented by the Penitent Form (associated with salvation) and the Holiness Table, resisted militarization. I demonstrate this resistance through my research of The Salvation Army Songbook.
In conclusion, I believe that The Salvation Army, as Melissa puts it, "refuses to put such serious beliefs entirely in terms of metaphor."
