Changing voices: the changing discourse of ‘religion’ and ‘implicit religious’ language

Implicit Religion, developed as a set of analytical tools by Edward Bailey, was, in many regards, ahead of its time. Drawing upon the history of Bailey’s Implicit Religion, and its developments since his death, this article will argue that Implicit Religion has something vital to offer to the field of religious studies as the discourse around religion and the study of it continues to shift and reform. Utilising a number of case studies from popular culture, and interviews conducted by those who partake in cosplay, role playing video games, and Straight Edge punk, this article will demonstrate the ways that Implicit Religion can be applied to understand better the changing nature of ‘religious’ language and the importance of paying attention to voices and experiences from the so called ‘secular’ realm.