Transformational Post-Secularism: An Overlooked Strand of Thought

This article identifies an overlooked strand of post-secular thought, which I call "transformational." Transformational post-secularism differs from other prominent post-secularisms by envisioning the emergence of a new socio-spiritual order that transcends modern secularism without abando...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Schewel, Benjamin (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Oxford University Press [2019]
In: Journal of the American Academy of Religion
Year: 2019, Volume: 87, Issue: 4, Pages: 1085-1112
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Furani, Khaled 1973- / Mahmood, Saba 1962-2018 / Post-secularism / Transformation / Discourse / Intellectual history 1950-2000
IxTheo Classification:AB Philosophy of religion; criticism of religion; atheism
Online Access: Volltext (Resolving-System)
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Summary:This article identifies an overlooked strand of post-secular thought, which I call "transformational." Transformational post-secularism differs from other prominent post-secularisms by envisioning the emergence of a new socio-spiritual order that transcends modern secularism without abandoning its commitment to diversity. This article clarifies the main features of transformational post-secularism and identifies the historical context in which it arose. As part of this analysis, I argue that, contrary to Khaled Furani's claim that post-secular discourse arose in the late 1990s, it actually began in the 1950s as part of a wider "crisis of man" debate. I also suggest that the axial age discourse, which crystallized at the same time and has gained significant influence in recent years, constitutes a main arena in which transformational post-secular thinking has, over the last seven decades, evolved. I conclude by considering the plausibility and potential applications of the idea of transformational post-secularism, which includes responding to Mahmood's and Furani's suggestion that scholars drop the term "post-secular" from their lexicon.
ISSN:1477-4585
Contains:Enthalten in: American Academy of Religion, Journal of the American Academy of Religion
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1093/jaarel/lfz066