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The Post-Secular Condition

Trans-Atlantic and Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Contemporary Religion and Spirituality

  • Open Access
The Post-Secular Condition cover

The Post-Secular Condition

Trans-Atlantic and Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Contemporary Religion and Spirituality

  • Open Access
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Pre-order. Available Feb 04 2027
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Description

This timely, open access book explores modern reactions to the social isolation, materialism and consumerism that have become key features of secular, Western societies.

Religions, and Christianity in particular, do not play an obvious part in society anymore as the immediate provider of values and aims. However, there exists a post-secular reaction to this: a longing for meaningful values in the face of community fragmentation.

Here, Henriksen and Nelson lead established scholars from a variety of disciplines in analysing this post-secular layer of society. From sociology and philosophy to Africana and religious studies, this work presents a comprehensive look at this emerging synthesis between spiritual enquiry and secular ideals.

The post-secular is not be understood as a triumphalist return of religion but rather as an opportunity to understand the recent terms and conditions for religion and spirituality. Thus, the secular and the post-secular are revealed to be in tension, but also conditioning each other.

Bursting with intellectual acuity and sensitivity, this is an essential volume for anybody seeking to understand religion's changing role in modern society.

The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by the Lilly Endowment, in the Early Career Pastoral Leadership Development Initiative, based at Wabash College.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction (Jan-Olav Henriksen, MF School of Theology, Norway; Derek R. Nelson, Wabash College, USA)

Part I: Interpreting Society

1. Haven in a Post-secular World (Petruschka Schaafsma, Protestant Theological University, Netherlands)

2. A Secular Age of Many Spiritualities (Andrew Root, Luther Seminary, USA)

3. Revisiting the Religious/Secular Binary: Holding Hopeful Distinction (Rebecca Catto, Kent State University, USA)

4. Gogarten and (Post-)Modern Society (Volker Leppin, Yale University, USA)

Part II: Transgressing Stable Religious Categories

5. Literature and the "Us-ness" of Post-Secularism (Kathryn Reklis, Fordham University, USA)

6. Thelonious Monk, 'Icon of the Eschaton,' and the Gospel of Secularity: Playing Between Secular and Post-Secular Realities (Raymond Carr, Society for the Study of Black Religion, USA)

7. Show of Hands: The Gospel in the Post-Migrant Society (Ulrich Schmiedel, Lund University, Sweden)

8. Polyphone Ecclesial Practices: The Gospel in Post-Secular Realities? (Ulla Schmidt, Aarhus University, Denmark)

Part III: Post-secular Conditions for Theology

9. The Post-Secular – A Version of Religion's Postmodern Condition? (Jan-Olav Henriksen, MF School of Theology, Norway)

10. Nuancing Secularization: The Gospel and Its Macro- and Micro-Contexts (Derek R. Nelson, Wabash College, USA)

11. Blood-Wine and Flesh-Bread: Material Spirituality in a Post/Secular World (Marius Timmann Mjaaland, University of Oslo, Norway)

12. Hospitality as Lived Theology (Björn Vikström, Åbo Akademi University, Finland)

Product details

Published Feb 04 2027
Format Hardback
Edition 1st
Pages 208
ISBN 9780567724472
Imprint T&T Clark
Dimensions 234 x 156 mm
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Anthology Editor

Jan-Olav Henriksen

Jan-Olav Henriksen is Professor of Philosophy of R…

Anthology Editor

Derek R. Nelson

Derek Nelson is Professor Religion at Wabash Colle…

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