The Postsecular Turn

McLennan, Gregor

doi:10.1177/0263276410372239

Cited by 78 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…The prophetic failure of secularization theory has led theologians, sociologists, and philosophers to talk in terms of postsecularism or the postsecular turn [39][40][41] and to a general problematization of secularism, which Taylor [3] has most prominently addressed. The resulting distancing of scholars to the political doctrine of secularism has also facilitated anthropologists to take a closer look at secularism, especially from an Islamic and postcolonial perspective [20,35,38,42,43].…”

Section: Towards a Reflexive Postsecularismmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The secular, it needs to be remembered, has been part of anthropology's heritage and has been crucial in shaping the discipline from its beginning to the present postsecular turn. This is why we need to affirm, together with Gellner, that a "minimal secularism" ( [49], p. 339) and critical skepticism continue to be required for an academic commitment to anthropology ( [41], p. 4). On the other hand, ethnographic data is always problematic and ambiguous, since it also relies on various religious parameters.…”

Section: Epistemology and Ontology Of The Penumbramentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While this necessitates relinquishing the former privileged position of secular and Western epistemology, it opens up the discipline to a potentially unprecedented ethnographic productivity that is epistemologically and ontologically innovative [37,41,58,66].…”

Section: Occupying the Ontological Penumbra Of Postsecular Anthropologymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Occupying the Ontological Penumbra: Towards a Postsecular and Theologically Minded Anthropology

Merz

2017

Religions

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Abstract:In the wake of the postsecular turn, we propose to reappraise both the religious as studied in anthropology and how anthropologists who have religious or spiritual interests can contribute to an emerging postsecular anthropology. Such an anthropology recognizes the failure of secularization theory to dissolve the dichotomy between the religious and the secular. We propose that as anthropologists we consciously occupy the ontological penumbra, an ambiguous and plural space in which we engage with various counterparts, both human and nonhuman. This means that we have to be open to the real possibility of the existence of gods, spirits, and other nonhuman entities. These should not only be treated as subjects of study, but also recognized as valid counterparts with whom we can engage in the ethnographic encounter. While this necessitates relinquishing the former privileged position of secular and Western epistemology, it opens up the discipline to a potentially unprecedented ethnographic productivity that is epistemologically and ontologically innovative. Without neglecting its secular heritage, such a theologically minded postsecular anthropology places anthropology in a better position to explore what it is to be human, especially in terms of understanding religious and spiritual experiences.

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Section: Towards a Reflexive Postsecularismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Epistemology and Ontology Of The Penumbramentioning

confidence: 99%

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Occupying the Ontological Penumbra: Towards a Postsecular and Theologically Minded Anthropology

Merz

2017

Religions

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“…Contemporary political theorists have analysed the impact of religious belief on the conceptualisations of toleration and secularism, highlighting the nuances that particular interpretations of Christian (Schwartzman, 2005, De Roover andBalagangadhara, 2008), Muslim (March 2010), Jewish (Fraenkel, 2010), Hindu (Spinner-Halev, 2005, De Roover et al, 2011 and other religious beliefs have contributed to our thinking of these concepts (McLennan, 2010). Yet there are no systematic studies of the role that atheism plays in contemporary political theory.…”

Section: Atheism Secularism and Toleration Towards A Political Atheomentioning

confidence: 99%

Atheism, secularism and toleration: Towards a political atheology

Devellennes

2017

Contemp Polit Theory

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There are numerous existing political atheologies that can be characterised by three movements -negative, positive, and critical atheological projects. By focusing on the critical atheologies of two political theorists, Richard Rorty and William Connolly, this article presents an insider's view of the influence that atheism has on political thought. After drawing out just what makes Rorty and Connolly's philosophies atheological, this article sets itself the task of drawing the consequences of a critical atheology for two fundamental concepts of contemporary political theory: secularism and toleration. These Enlightenment ideals can be rescued and re-framed following a pluralist critique. By refining our understanding of secularism beyond a strict church-state separation, an agonistic secularism which promotes an ethos of engagement is defended therein. Secondly, toleration is then defended in its agonistic form to include the practice of critique against conceptions of indifference or respect. Finally, the hard case of the French ban on veils in public schools is discussed to highlight the contribution of this political atheology to an important social issue.

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“…However, several scholars rightfully noted that the debate about the (post-)secular often leaves the realm of empirically grounded arguments (see Beckford, 2012:13). As a symptom of that, some works attempted to contribute general assumptions about the nature of the (post-)secular (see, e.g., McLennan, 2010). However, for empirically engaged researchers these works can hardly serve as fundament for further conceptualization.…”

Section: Introduction: Interrogating the Post-secular Conditionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Post-secular rapprochement in peripheralized regions – politics of withdrawal and parish community responses

Meyer

Miggelbrink

2017

Geogr. Helv.

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Abstract. In many parts of Germany, processes of secularization overlap with ongoing sociodemographic changes such as outmigration and population decline. As a result, Christian churches face significant financial pressure due to plummeting numbers of parish members. In East Germany, these circumstances are aggravated by policies of de-Christianization during the socialist past. Using a case study in the Evangelical Church in Central Germany and its church district Altenburger Land, we argue that forms of post-secular rapprochement -transgression of boundaries of belief -develop following severe budget cuts and the withdrawal of pastoral positions. Contemporary literature on post-secular rapprochement specifically illuminates social issues emerging in urban landscapes due to neoliberal policies. In contrast, we highlight corresponding incidents of cooperation in peripheralized regions. On the one hand, parish members in our case study region aim to cooperate with local clubs to organize common festivities and increase their visibility. On the other hand, they attempt to get in touch with other Christian groups in a more subtle way. Hereby, we illuminate the everyday work of post-secular rapprochement in peripheralized regions using an empirically driven and practice-theory-based approach.

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The Postsecular Turn

Cited by 78 publications

References 8 publications

Occupying the Ontological Penumbra: Towards a Postsecular and Theologically Minded Anthropology

Occupying the Ontological Penumbra: Towards a Postsecular and Theologically Minded Anthropology

Atheism, secularism and toleration: Towards a political atheology

Post-secular rapprochement in peripheralized regions – politics of withdrawal and parish community responses

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