Problems of the Methodology for Studying the Religious Tradition in the Context of post-Soviet reIslamization

Abstract

Abstract: the article examines the sociological aspects of Islam in post-Soviet Russia and one of its regions – Tatarstan. The author draws attention to a number of influential factors, without which it is impossible to adequately study the processes of post-Soviet reIslamization. The most significant are: regional differentiation of Muslim communities; the influence of Soviet modernization and state ideology of atheism on the state of Islamic theology and the transmission of religious norms and practice; the impact of globalization trends and glocalization on the identification and practices of Muslims. The combination in one sociocultural space of the local religious tradition and the patterns of Islamic globalization in close proximity to the secular community forms the situation of competition of identification projects, normative and ideological conflicts, both among spiritual leaders and inside the ummah itself. The new challenges of the post-secular world require a revision of the methodology for studying Muslim communities; rethinking the concept of “tradition” in the contexts of the local history of the Tatars in conditions of a multi-confessional Russian society and a global Islamic tradition. The research potential of constructivist approaches in sociology and identity theories in the study of Islam and Muslim communities is shown.