Initial Reflection on WBC – Sofia Vlahakos

Above all, I am grateful that I have been given this unique opportunity to conduct research on the Westboro Baptist Church from a firsthand perspective, especially because I had wanted to go last year and was unable to attend! I am definitely looking forward to the experience and knowledge I will gain through observation and interviews of members.
My interest in Westboro was piqued in my early high school years and since that time I have read and watched a large amount of material regarding the group, so I’m entering with a pretty good idea of what to expect from them. Furthermore, taking REL 101 with Dr. Gray my first year of college prepared me to be able to properly study Westboro by teaching me the importance of maintaining a critical distance. Through this course I also learned how to avoid normative language, which will surely come in handy as I converse with church members.
Although I may feel frustration or anger upon hearing provocative/inflammatory statements during our visit to Topeka, I am not concerned that these potential feelings could manifest themselves visibly or verbally. For the past 3 years I have worked at various law firms and am no stranger to the courtroom. Anyone who has ever worked a hearing or trial knows the importance of maintaining composure despite what is being said by opposing counsel or a witness on the stand, no matter how shocking or infuriating their words may be. Through this courtroom experience I have learned how to be respectful of opinions or values that I may not share. And although it has taken practice, sitting through these trials has also taught me to control my facial expressions.
Overall, I would consider myself to be an inquisitive and quite talkative person. I feel that these qualities will be essential in my effort to have engaging and informative discussions with church members regarding both their beliefs and their lives in general. I plan on journaling each evening of the visit both to vent (as I may be feeling frustrated) and to keep an account of what I have done and learned each day.

Initial Reflection on WBC – Sarah Moore

Having participated in interviews with the Westboro Baptist Church last summer, I am familiar with the type of rhetoric used by the church. As such, I don’t believe that I will have trouble managing my feelings or responsive while on site. Even though I don’t believe in the values of the church, such as their feelings on LGBTQ+ rights, I am willing to listen and consider their perspective on the issue. I believe that there is something valuable in listening to those with which we disagree.

Additionally, I am looking forward to interacting with church members on a more personal basis, as we were able to accomplish last summer. For instance, I had a personal connection with one member of the church, Jonathan Phelps. Jonathan shared a moving story with me about a young girl whom he helped to defend in juvenile court. This girl inspired strong feelings in Jonathan, to the point where he was tearing up. It was a special moment to witness this man feel such a connection to a girl outside of his church community, though the stated values of the church may discourage this type of interaction.

Furthermore, I am excited to learn more about the church members through interviews, especially considering that I am creating my own research project for our visit this summer. I hope to learn more about the interactions between church members and their young children, looking at how children grow and learn within the church. While I understand that this line of research may be greeted with scrutiny or even hostility, especially considering the touchy subject of children leaving the church, I am interested in seeing the type of responses that church members are willing to share with me. Overall, I am very excited to be going back and having the opportunity to work with these individuals again.

Initial Reflection on WBC – Alex D’Errico-Bronston

Having participated in a week of research last summer, I am not particularly concerned about managing my reactions. Though I personally had visceral reactions to many of their statements and beliefs, I was able to maintain a stoicism about me. Overall, the experience really allowed me to engage with others, who may seem to be a bit difficult, and build a sense of comfort and familiarity.

Looking back, one interview that humanized members of the church for me was with Ben Phelps, who is on the right in the back row of the attached picture below. We had navigated to the topic of the recognizable slogan “God Hates F*gs” and I could feel myself begin to sweat. I became very nervous, as I expected the discussion to be an indirect attack on me and my existence. Although in some ways I felt that it was, Ben seemed to be somewhat respectful in doing so and opened up about his own discomfort with using words that could be perceived as derogatory. I was surprised to see this side of a member of the church, and am grateful to have experienced it.

Looking forward, I have no fears in masking my reactions to various claims made by members of the church. I am a little bit nervous as to whether or not I’ll make a normative claim, but I know with practice, I’ll be able to get back into the swing of things. I’d reiterate what Margaret said, in that if you feel the need to express an opinion that would be normative, do so outside of the premises of the church, the members’ homes, etc. Finally, I’m excited to see interviewees from the last trip, and to get to know the stories of others in the church this time!

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Meet Jael (Phelps) Holroyd

Dr. Gray met Jael on his first visit to Topeka, when she was starting out as a nurse.

He first interviewed her parents and brothers (she was not married at the time). She also helped explain the project to other Westboro Baptist interviewees.

In this clip, Dr. Gray asked about whether she experiences any empathy for her patients.

https://youtu.be/Yoh3QmNctEg

You might compare our conversation with what it is like for her when picketing.

Introducing Shirley Phelps-Roper

Meet Shirley Phelps-Roper, daughter of WBC founder Pastor Fred Phelps Sr. as well as the former spokeswoman for the church. In this video clip, Shirley is responding to a question from a Miami student about how she responds when people leave the church.

Dr. Gray’s WBC blog at Quora

Listening to 3rd generation WBC’ers

For a few years, Dr. Gray wrote posts about Westboro Baptist Church on the Q&A website Quora. A few examples:

How does the Westboro Baptist Church think they’re doing good?

Does the Westboro Baptist Church have any redeeming qualities?

What is it like to meet Fred Phelps in real life?

What does it feel like to be part of the Westboro Baptist Church or know somebody who is part of the WBC?

Do Christian theologians think Fred Phelps will go to heaven or hell?

Will Fred Phelps’ funeral be picketed? Have the funerals of other members of WBC been picketed?

Why is the Westboro Baptist Church so hyper-focused on homosexuality as the crux of its doctrine, protesting, and picketing?

What are the third-generation Phelps family members like in person?

What do you think about Planting Peace’s choice to buy a house opposite Westboro Baptist Church?

Have you, or anyone you know, ever verbally engaged a member or members of the Westboro Baptist Church during a picketing of theirs?

How did the Westboro Baptist Church come to choose Kabel Ultra as the typeface for their protest signs?

Please let us know if you would like more information about one of these posts, if you notice any mistakes, or if you have your questions about WBC.

 

Response from Westboro Baptists about August ’18 trip

Our summer 2018 research team had its first meeting yesterday evening, May 10th. We’ve got 7-8 students planning to go!

By coincidence — or divine ordination, depending on one’s perspective — that same evening, Steve Drain of WBC emailed me about expectations and options for the visit.

Besides whatever interviews that WBC members choose to schedule, students may be invited to some meals with church members and to attend a family’s evening Bible reading. I think we’d learn a great deal from these opportunities.

Steve also reiterated that the church’s sole interest is in preaching (i.e., teaching) the Gospel and “serving the Lord.” He views scholarly research in a rather dim light, based partly on his own insider experience in academia.