Post-secular Society Research Articles

Contesting Power as Political Theology: Traditionalist Islamic Preaching and Post-Secularism in the West

Traditionalist Islamic preaching in the West is not limited to the normative aspects of theology, law, and ethics. In addition, it addresses the most pressing social and political issues that Muslims are currently confronting in the West; it also challenges Western modernity in general and secularism in particular. Two critical sermons of secularism delivered by two of the most well-known traditionalist Muslim preachers in their respective countries—Hamza Yusuf in the USA and Hani Ramadan in Switzerland—are analyzed in this study. First, I shall examine the arguments put up by these preachers against secularism and in support of post-secular society. Next, I will study the rhetorical strategies used in these two sermons. Finally, I will discuss the relevance of these two sermons to the contemporary debates in the West on contesting secularism and multiple secularisms. It is argued here that traditionalist Muslim preachers see secularism as an encroaching power that poses a danger to the figures of authority and norms that control gender, knowledge, and education within Muslim communities and societies.

Какой тип реальности описывается концепцией постсекулярного общества?

Publications intended to prove that the contemporary mankind has entered the era of the postsecularity being already counted by four-digit numbers, verification of this point from both logic and facts, in the author’s view, proves otherwise. Because of the immensity of this ocean of writing on this matter the author indulges in confining himself with only three spheres of implementation of this “doctrine”, i.e. with the post-metaphysical philosophy of Jürgen Habermas as the icon of the whole movement, intellectual games with the prefix post- in this context as highlighting the main significances of the conception under discussion and a newest understanding of the postsecular as a format of the secular. While Habermas envisaged the main objective of the postsecular society in involvement of religious peoples in universally significant rationality, the author argues that it is just this rationality that is overtly contradicted by the main interpretations of the postsecular in the Western Europe. To say more, these interpretations are more fitted to description of the “post-religious”, and various trics with the significance of post- in this context (by devastation of its temporal, diachronic meaning) are demonstrated as ploys aimed to delete the numerous facts of deterioration of religion there, viz. dramatic and constant decrease of religious population simultaneous with the same increase of irreligious, the fall of the civic authority of religious leaders and what could be called the inner secularization of Christian denominations.

КОНСТРУИРОВАНИЕ ОБРАЗА ВЕДЬМЫ В СОВРЕМЕННОМ ХОРРОРЕ

The article examines the representation of the witch in two horror films: “The VVitch: A New-England Folktale” (2015) and “Hagazussa” (2017). The films are set during the historic period of the witch hunts. The article draws on the theoretical foundations of the “monstrous-feminine” theory by B. Creed and the concept of “disgust” by Yu. Kristeva as its methodological basis. B. Creed's theory seems to be very promising in the analysis of horror films, which are built around a female monster figure, such as a witch. Based on the theory of B. Creed, we can identify three main themes in the construction of monstrous images in these films: mother-child relationships, the concept of purity and dirt and images of disgust. The basis is the female body, which becomes the primary indicator of the monstrous. It is concluded that the images of the monstrous are based on religious prohibitions, and one of the functions of horror is to maintain boundaries and taboos in a post-secular society.

Right to Freedom of Religion: Dynamics of Conceptual Evolution

This article analyzes the dynamics of the content of the freedom of religion aiming to reflect the transformation of the right to freedom of religion in historical perspective and forming generalized models of such content, as well as prognosing the prospects for further dynamics of these changes. The relevance of the study is justified by several factors. Firstly, the issue of exercising the right to freedom of religion is urgent in the context of the growing number of followers of various religions, as well as the use of religious narratives for political purposes. Secondly, contemporary factors shaping post-secular society (diversification of attitudes towards religion and types of religiosity) contribute to the erosion of the classical definition of the subject of freedom of religion. Thirdly, forecasting the further development of freedom of religion requires an analysis of its formation and historical transformations, which remains insufficiently studied in domestic doctrine. The article argues that the content (subject) of freedom of religion (especially within the European tradition of understanding it) has undergone significant changes, influencing the concepts and scope of state-confessional interaction, as well as the principles of defining relevant norms. Therefore, it is necessary, having examined individual epochs of the formation of freedom of religion, to identify its general meaning and development trends. Such research is conducted based on historical-legal sources and doctrinal knowledge. It is argued that the historical development of freedom of religion demonstrates its dynamic evolution and the acquisition of an increasingly broader scope. The ancient vision of freedom of religion is characterized by the assertion of adherence to one of the alternative cults (territorially defined) as a legal duty. However, the common background (principle) of all cults does not allow for choice and thus leads to the implicit leveling of the significance of freedom of religion. In medieval law, freedom of religion is explicitly leveled; adherence to a single cult is affirmed as a legal duty (reception of obligation with denial of alternative compared to antiquity). Actual freedom of religion emerges in modern times as the ability of individuals to choose and change beliefs freely and to freely practice their religion. This process is accompanied by the formation of a secular state. Partial freedom of religion, based on limited state-sanctioned choice, later transforms into full freedom with unrestricted free choice. Such a concept prevails in international law and national legislation currently. Further development of freedom of religion is possible in the context of challenges of post-secular society, including diversification of attitudes towards religion and types of religiosity, as well as the spread of a worldview based on non-religious faith. This concept has now seen the most development in the practice of interpretation and application of the European Convention on Human Rights, as set out in the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights. This practice requires detailed study in further research.

FEATURES OF THE CULTURE-BUILDING APPROACH TO THE STUDY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE EDUCATIONAL POTENTIAL OF THE PERSON IN THE CONTEXT OF SPIRITUAL AND MORAL KNOWLEDGE IN ISLAM

The Islamic religion occupies a special place in the development of moral values, determining the embodiment of cultural, spiritual, and moral qualities that form the basis for the educational capabilities of the individual in Kazakhstan. The purpose of the study is to analyse the religious and cultural features of the moral values and capabilities of Islam in the process of the individual’s educational development. The following methods were used to achieve the research objectives: generalisation, survey, and comparative. The study results have determined that the important aspects of the culture-building paradigm of the educational process are to consider the cultural and religious characteristics of the modern environment in which learning takes place. In educational institutions, Islam is based on the principles of morality and ethics, which are the basis of a person’s spiritual and moral development, paying attention to a wide range of related factors that affect this process. According to the survey, students who study the Islamic religion, one way or another, use the instilled values in everyday life. Among the main spiritual and moral qualities that are associated with national and cultural identity, it is worth highlighting: respect for elders, traditional customs and rituals, language, and literature. Although there are different spiritual movements represented in educational institutions in Kazakhstan, nevertheless, the content of the Islamic religion converges in its vision of educating a person as an educated, honest, kind, tolerant, and merciful person. However, it is worth bearing in mind that for the productive development of educational potential, it is important to consider the modern values and principles of the culture of a post-secular society. The practical significance lies in the use of the study results by academics, by specialists in religious studies and spiritual education.

Взаимодействие светского и религиозного мировоззрения как теологическая проблема: социальные риски, вызовы цифровизации и основания гражданского диалога

The problem of relations between secular and religious beliefs is topical in modern Russian society; its importance is largely determined by the growing internal risks and threats, including extremist and protest movements, the spread of crisis patterns of spirituality, and citizens’ involvement in destructive quasi-religious practices. Preservation of Russia’s spiritual and moral culture is one of the priorities of the national security, a guarantee of national sustainability and stability in the face of the expansion of socio-cultural practices and ideological narratives alien to Russian traditions and values. This study focuses on the search for constructive frameworks for cooperation between the state, religious institutions and society.
 Research team’s work resulted in the following achievements: identified historical and philosophical perspectives on secularism; justified choice of discourse analysis as a methodological basis for the study of secularism and religiousness; defined the idea of secularism as a complex interrelations of secular and religious worldviews; outlined the boundaries of understanding secularism in the context of theological discourse; identified and described risk areas of public discussions on the role of religion in a modern scientific space; identified negative scenarios of development of relations between the state, church and society; analysed the impact of the digital environment on the attitude of young people to the problems of faith, religion, morality; analysed the vectors of transformation of the boundaries of religiousness and secularity in the digital environment; developed a classification of media sources publishing religious content, described their main strategies, identified potential risks and threats; developed recommendations for public authorities to assess and monitor the Internet environment for destructive religious trends.
 The results were reflected in the developed consensus model of inter-confessional relations, aimed at maintaining the spirit of partnership and trust between representatives of secular and religious worldviews in the conditions of modern post-secular society, the promotion of willingness of state, religious and social institutions to cooperate on socially important issues.

Religijos-viktimizacijos modulio link tarptautinio jaunimo delinkvencijos ir viktimizacijos tyrimo (ISRD) kontekste: mokymasis iš praeities pavyzdžių

The concept of postsecular society highlights the increasing relevance of religion in social, cultural, and political affairs. Given this trend, criminology should pay increasing attention to how religion is linked to victimization and offending. Since the religion–crime studies have traditionally focused on offending, the research lacunae are biggest in the study of victimization. The inclusion of religion is particularly relevant in international surveys in religiously heterogeneous communities. In this article, we aim to develop a survey module suggestion for use in the context of the International Self-Report Delinquency Study (ISRD). We first examine the current content of the ISRD-4 sweep. To locate lacunae in it, we move to review how international surveys have tackled the dimension of religion, including the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD), the European Social Survey (ESS), the World Values Survey (WVS), and the International Crime Victim Survey (ICVS). Building on these state-of-the-art examples, we propose a new ISRD module (Appendix) for studying the religion–victimization link in international crime surveys with limited space. In conclusion, we argue that criminology would benefit from increasing attention to religion and other cultural variables alongside traditional socioeconomic, structural, and individual factors.

Party Change in the Post-Secular Age: The Case of Republican People’s Party in Turkey

The Republican People's Party (RPP) of Turkey is currently the main opposition party against the ruling Justice and Development Party (JDP). While the RPP has usually been identified with a “rigid” understanding of secularism, the party has been experiencing a process of ideational change for more than a decade under the leadership of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. This study aims to describe and explain the party’s shift to a “softer” version of secularism. Under the light of party change literature, one internal and two external factors are identified. The impact of leadership change, the internal factor, is examined with reference to major strategic and ideational changes initiated by Kılıçdaroğlu. The first major external stimulus is the global and local hegemony of post-secularism, which refers to the idea and practice of a new balance between citizenship and difference, allowing a greater space for religious arguments and images in the public sphere. The second is the transition to presidential system in Turkey, which both forced and facilitated the RPP’s search for electoral alliances with conservative parties in a personalized winner-takes-all game. It is claimed that these factors have made the RPP reassess the effectiveness of its commitment to classical secularism in meeting the renewed party goal of vote maximization. Reverse pressures on the party will also be examined in the article, with an aim of foreseeing the RPP’s leaning in the near future.
 Key Words: Republican People’s Party, Secularism, Post-Secular Society, Party Change
 JEL Classification: Z1, D72, Y80

AN ANALYSIS OF THE STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS OF RECENT POLITICAL SECULARISM IN TURKEY AND HABERMAS' PROPOSED REMEDIES

Within the intricate structure of global political landscapes, the nation of Turkey emerges as a captivating subject of study, particularly when examining its progressive secularism and the complex interplay of socio-political dynamics. This study aims to examine the fundamental structural factors that surround the implementation of Turkey's present political secularism, while also employing Habermas' proposed notion of a post-secular society as an approach to address and resolve these intricacies. This study utilizes a qualitative research methodology by doing literature studies and relying on secondary data for data collection. The findings of this study suggest that Habermas's notion of a post-secular society has the potential to develop a sociopolitical structure that is more democratic and inclusive in the setting of Turkey where it is being investigated.

Religious pluralism, public religion, and principled pluralism in Indonesia

Acts of intolerance in Indonesia are usually carried out against non-Muslim groups and Christians who are targeted, especially in cases related to the destruction of places of worship. Secularism has offered a solution to religious radicalism by drawing an absolute separation between religion and the state. However, viewed from a post-secularism perspective, secularism cannot be the right solution to religious radicalism. Post-secularism has played an essential role as a way for religion to enter into public life, but it has not comprehensively discussed how religion should function within it. It is hoped that religious freedom can be fully implemented in Indonesia, because Pancasila guarantees it so that confessional pluralism can be realized in the context of sphere sovereignty. The study's findings offer principled pluralism to provide an understanding of the place of religion in a post-secular society and how it should function within it to resolve religious intolerance.

Forgiving Others: Pastoral Care of Forgiveness in Post-Secular Societies

This article argues that pastoral insights into the dynamics of forgiveness are also relevant for pastoral care in post-secular society. While receiving forgiveness has been the raison d’etre of the sacrament of penance (a historical precursor to modern pastoral care), contemporary post-secular societies accentuate the problem of forgiving others. This article explores several paths for forgiving others that care seekers can walk, guided by pastors who provide maps and signposts. Methodologically, this article analyzes two pastoral care conversations about forgiving others, published in a Danish podcast series on the official homepage of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark. These two conversations present a highway of unconditional forgiveness, in contrast to the dead end of not being able to forgive. This article explores how pastors can care for care seekers along these diametric roads, and along several byways, through surveys of relevant (theological) philosophy, systematic theology, and theology of pastoral care. The two care seekers are neither religious nor simply secular; they are post-secular, moving in and out of secular and religious discourses as appears relevant. The article concludes with reflections on pastoral care in different intercultural settings, specifically in post-secular societies.

Постсекуляризм в современной России: опасности и перспективы

The article is based on the discussion of the concepts of "post-secular so- ciety" and "post-secularism" discussed in the social sciences and the possibility of their use for analyzing the processes taking place in modern Russian society. A number of serious Russian scientists, researchers of religious processes, express objections to the use of the concepts of "post-secular society", "post-secularism", considering the ongo- ing processes to be a continuation of secularization. Analyzing their arguments, the authors come to the conclusion that there is no reason to talk about the existence of a post-secular society in modern Russia. However, post-secularism as a communicative phenomenon with a normative perspective is quite an actual and empirically verifiable concept. Such fixed phenomena as reconfiguration, demarginalization of religion, in- terfaith competition, interfaith cooperation are new forms of public relations that can- not be evaluated as the results of either secularization or desecularization. The emer- gence of postsecular quality of communication creates conditions for the establishment of fundamentally new forms of relations between various ideological groups, as well as for the transformation of state-confessional relations. The formation of post-secular public relations creates both dangers and new prospects. The dangers are connected with the contradictions arising in connection with the return of religion to the public environment. Thus, the reconfiguration may threaten the clericalization of public life. At the same time, the demarginalization of religion is a condition for public dialogue between representatives of different ideological positions.

The activity of Orthodox bloggers as the factor of the Orthodox religious organizations modernization

The article, based on online observation data, analyzes the activities of Orthodox bloggers in modern Russian society in the conceptual framework of the theories of secularization, post-secular society and the mediatization of religion. The authors identify the main areas of activity of Orthodox bloggers, specify the forms of their interaction with official confessional mass media, assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the information policy of the Russian Orthodox Church. After the COVID-19 pandemic, information policy is being liberalized and restrictions are being lifted from the online activities of proactive Orthodox clergy looking for new approaches to the external and internal mission of Orthodoxy. There are two main directions of Orthodox blogging: catechetical and educational; the formation of public opinion in the circles of the Orthodox clergy and the affirmation of the value of social solidarity. In the first case, the modernization of the social practices of the clergy is expressed in introducing the audience of “new media” to religion and educational influence on it, in addition to the usual examples of bilateral interaction, in the second — in increasing the authority of the clergy-bloggers as media personalities and the opportunity to use near-church sites for informal public control over the activities of the church leadership. As a result of the activity of active blogger priests, a network environment of assistants, volunteers and consultants (IT specialists, psychologists, lawyers, etc.) arises around parishes, hierarchical organizations in their essence.

Spiritual Capital – Observations in Process

This article outlines some observations and recommendations derived from a study of the experiences of people who understand themselves to work for the ‘common good’. Drawing on theological analysis of a series of surveys and interviews, this article sets out some key observations which are framed as having potential for practical application. The work draws on an underpinning of process-relational theology, which is, broadly, an extension of the philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead. Recommendations for action are intended to provide suggested ways for the church, and wider elements of civil society, to grapple with some of the apparent challenges presented by the context of a post secular society.

Modernized Hijab and the Emergence of Post-Secular Society in Turkey

Modernized Hijab and the Emergence of Post-Secular Society in Turkey

Canonical Law in modern theological and legal cognitionю V.V. Bagan. Genesis and ontology of the Canonical Law of the Orthodox Church: scientific-theological and scientific-legal research

The review article reveals the significance for modern legal science of the monograph of Priest Vladislav Bagan (Bagan Vladislav V.), dedicated to the scientific-theological and theoretical-legal understanding, generalization and conceptual explanation of the Canonical Law of the Orthodox Church. There is a high level of theoretical generalizations and the importance of this kind of research for modern legal understanding. Among the advantages of the work: a deep analysis of the ontological foundations of Canon Law in the context of the problems of legal understanding, a description of the essence of law in the Orthodox worldview; recognition of the Canon Law of the Orthodox Church as the most important element of the Rule of Law of post-secular society; description of the main directions, schools and concepts of Canon Law; review of the largest studies in the field of Canon Law and a number of others.

Образ России в религиоведческом дискурсе

The aim of this article is to conceptualize the processes of constitution and institutionalization of Russia’s image by the Russian academic community at the beginning of the 21st century. I focus on the role of religious studies in the production of the concept of Russia as a nation with successful practices of religious pluralism, with a developing model of a post-secular society where religious communities are seen as part of civic society that can serve as one of the foundations for Russia’s civilization state’s stability as a commonwealth of peoples with different religious identities. Knowledge produced by religious studies will, in our opinion, only become more significant for the task of determining Russia’s civilizational strategy in the 21st century, including both theory and methodology, and practice.

Co-existing through Opposition

Abstract Beyond ethnographic portrayals of religious competition as conducive to rupture and separation, this article shows forms of intradenominational competitive coexistence that allow for both the social reproduction of the community of faith and religious change and innovation. In a Spanish village, Catholic congregants compete not only to secure worldly resources such as priestly time or church-owned spaces, but also over the legitimacy of differing understandings of human–divine relationships and of the role of religion in a postsecular society. Here, competition involves forms of epistemic posturing, a denial of the priest's power as arbiter, and the appeal to the state as facilitator. Intradenominational competition between iconoclasts and ‘traditional’ Catholics redefines the community as a complex of competing theologies, even as it courts schism and difference.

Special Religious Education in a post-secular Australia

Special Religious Education (SRE) classes are held in New South Wales public primary schools weekly. This article is built on a review of SRE classes based on Anglican past experiences to develop recommendations to ameliorate shortcomings and enhance their quality and value in New South Wales public primary schools in a post-secular society. The research was a literature study and evaluative interpretation of Anglican SRE in New South Wales from the newly emerged post-secular context. It described and discussed the history of SRE and education in New South Wales: making a contextual inquiry into the history of such education in a secular society. It used a qualitative approach to describe and interpret historical interview responses of Anglican adults about their experiences as students in SRE classes while attending New South Wales public primary schools. Three meta-themes arose from their experiences: a space for questioning; the importance of relationship and the temporal experience of SRE lessons. Recommendations to improve and deepen the SRE curriculum were made as a result of these responses, and a possible pedagogical framework to work on improving both the curriculum and learning experiences of students in SRE was suggested. This research confirmed an expectation that there will be religion and Christian teaching within the secular education system to embed virtues, values and ethics into Australian society; it is in programmes, such as SRE, children can question the way we live and act, develop a sense of belonging and a sense that they matter. It also showed that the current way is not the most conducive model for this to occur.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: In the context of the secular/non-religious public reflex in Australian society there are conflicting views in the community about the place of SRE in government schools. In this context, it is critical that Christian educators can support their claims of the continued value and role of SRE.

После политической религии: особенности российского постсекуляризма

The concept of a post-secular society proposed by Jurgen Habermas has become quite popular in Russia, and not only within the framework of scientific discourse. However, in the Russian context, the very concept of “post-secular” is most often interpreted through the prism of desecularization. According to the author’s conclusion, the special aspects of the religious revival in the country after the collapse of the Soviet regime can largely explain this. The article shows that the transition to a post-secular state in Russia included not only a rethinking of the perspectives of religion in a secular society and an awareness of the need for the participation of believers in public discussions, but also a change in the institutional position of religion, the rapprochement of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and the authorities, the formation of a new idea of collective identity on the basis of Orthodoxy as the dominant confession, as well as an attempt to construct an official ideology, or a secular religion, an important element of which would be the symbolic heritage of Orthodoxy. Religion turned out to be in demand primarily for solving social and political problems: determining national specifics, reviving lost cultural traditions, and legitimizing political power. Religious revival in that form did not imply proper religious conversion and thus was not accompanied by a noticeable increase in real religiosity. The author explains the predominantly “secular” perception of the functions of religion by the authorities and a significant part of society by the legacy of the Soviet political religion, which pushed traditional religions with their transcendent sacred to the periphery of social life and gave rise to specific forms of the secular sacred.