“I Want to Reclaim Christianity”: Boundary Work among Inclusive Christians

ABSTRACT Members of religious groups in the United States engage in boundary work to maintain distinct identities, but we know little about how inclusive Christians navigate the exclusionary aspects of boundary work. Drawing on one year of participant observation at a liberal congregation and twenty-six interviews, I find that congregants develop three strategies for boundary work that reflect their inclusive identity. I argue that this boundary work reflects the congregation’s high social class, thus reinforcing the underlying social boundary of class. This research extends our understanding of boundary work in congregations and further elucidates how churches may contribute to inequality.