ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of some key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book demonstrates that the music of Straight Edge punks, when combined with aspects of their community, and worldview, is doing precisely that. It explores the premise that because Straight Edge adherents are punk they must engage with anarchy in such a way as to situate it as the antithesis of religion. The book examines the concept of authenticity further by demonstrating that although parallels could be drawn between the Protestant concept of sola fide and the lack of salvation or redemption within the Straight Edge articulation of authenticity is to miss an important subtlety. Critical religion argues that language is a powerful tool and the means by which it is applied to the concept of 'religion' is often in tandem with specific agenda that creates a tightly controlled discourse in which 'religion' is seen as irrelevant, superstitious, infantile, dangerous or violent.
