The revenge of the words: On language’s historical and autonomous being and its effects on ‘secularisation’

Vanhoutte, Kristof K. P.

doi:10.4102/hts.v76i2.6076

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies

2020

DOI: 10.4102/hts.v76i2.6076

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The revenge of the words: On language’s historical and autonomous being and its effects on ‘secularisation’

Kristof K. P. Vanhoutte

Abstract: What if language was an autonomous historical being? What if language’s use was not solely dependent on the intentions of the one who speaks? In this text I will test these provocative statements. Specifically, I will investigate whether language’s proclaimed historical independence can be traced in the usage of the concept of ‘secularisation’, and I will try to unveil the consequences of this operation.Contribution: Has Christianity abandoned the public stage in the ‘secularised’ and industrialised world? In … Show more

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Cited by 3 publications

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Finitude, temporality and the criticism of religion in Martin Hägglund’s This Life: Why Mortality Makes Us Free (2019)

Biernot

Lombaard

2020

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies

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Based on two presentations during a February 2020 South African academic visit at the University of Pretoria and the University of Johannesburg, in this contribution, the authors of this article engage with one of the bestselling recent volumes in philosophy, Martin Hägglund’s This Life: Why Mortality Makes Us Free (here, the 2020 edition; initial publication date, 2019). In this book, Hägglund propagates ideas akin to those promoted within secular humanism. Whilst on the one hand this article elaborates the shortcomings of Hägglund’s criticism of religion, on the other hand it also strives for an empathetic reading of his secular humanist philosophy. The authors place this conversation within the post-secular religio-cultural climate currently rising internationally, along with some further contextualising remarks. The most important part of this article is the last section (‘Pitting some theological voices…’) in which the authors engage Hägglund’s main arguments theologically, which elaborate on the finitude of human life all the whilst denying it a prospect of immortality. The debate in this section procceeds along the lines of religious thought of Emmanuel Falque, Ebenhard Jüngel and Dewi Zephania Phillips, with a view to reconcile the radical awareness of finitude and temporality of human life, characteristic for modern discourse(s), with the religious language practices sustaining belief in eternal life.Contribution: This article engages with how Martin Hägglund’s This Life: Why Mortality Makes Us Free does not fairly convey aspects of the sense of secularism, and can additionally on the senses of finitude and temporality be improved by insights from Emmanuel Falque, Ebenhard Jüngel and Dewi Zephania Phillips.

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Finitude, temporality and the criticism of religion in Martin Hägglund’s This Life: Why Mortality Makes Us Free (2019)

Biernot

Lombaard

2020

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies

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"Anthropology" and the "Imago Dei" as (related) problematic concepts when considering technology: suggestions towards greater cross-disciplinary understanding

Lombaard¹

2022

pharosjot

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In this contribution an interdisciplinary contribution from Theology on the unfolding relationship between humanity and technology, is considered. In order to contribute with validity to these academic and societal reflections, two moves are required on the part of Theology. Both the external communicability of the in-house concept within Theology of "anthropology" and the internal coherence within Theology disciplines of the term "imago Dei", have to be improved. On both these matters, Theology has been remiss, for different reasons. In the rising post-secular intellectual climate, Theology is sure to be heard more influentially outside of its recently more limited circles. For this reason it is important that these two moves be effected.

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The Bible as source for leadership models: a considered No and a careful Yes

Lombaard

2024

pharosjot

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In this contribution, earlier research by the author on the topic of leadership and the Bible is expanded upon, here to evaluate the usage of the Bible in publications on leadership. By means of Weberian ideal-type analysis, some traits of such usage are indicated, and thereupon evaluated. This is done by theologically characterisation, from the perspective of theological realism (post-secularism). Not a less evangelical, but a more evangelical approach is argued for, in which the natures of Bible, faith and believers are taken more seriously than their wished-for alternatives. The latter includes the oft-found confession to taking the Bible seriously, which however too often plays out as an empty assertion. This, because the realities of the historical coming-into-being of the biblical texts and corpora, are in such cases not given their due attention. The Bible confessed to is, then, a document that never existed. This implies that leadership insights derived on such a basis, leave much room for criticism as to their implied relation to reality.

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The revenge of the words: On language’s historical and autonomous being and its effects on ‘secularisation’

Cited by 3 publications

References 8 publications

Finitude, temporality and the criticism of religion in Martin Hägglund’s This Life: Why Mortality Makes Us Free (2019)

Finitude, temporality and the criticism of religion in Martin Hägglund’s This Life: Why Mortality Makes Us Free (2019)

"Anthropology" and the "Imago Dei" as (related) problematic concepts when considering technology: suggestions towards greater cross-disciplinary understanding

The Bible as source for leadership models: a considered No and a careful Yes

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