A Posture of Protest? The Search for Christian Identity in A Post-Secular Society: Between Secularised Eschatology and A Sacralisation of History

Q3 Arts and Humanities

International Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Society Pub Date : 2021-12-26 DOI:10.33182/ijor.v2i2.1700

Mariëtta Van der Tol, M. Rowley

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引用次数: 1

Abstract

This article theorises ideations of “the people” in a comparative reflection on Latin-Christian theologies and typologies of time and secularised appropriations thereof in right-wing as well as far-right movements in Europe and the United States of America. Understanding the world in grand narratives of “good” and “evil” emerges from Christian eschatological hope: the hope of the restoration and renewal of the cosmos and the final defeat of evil prophesised in association with the return of Christ. However, this language of good and evil becomes detached from the wider corpus of Christian belief and theology. In its secular expression, it may attach the good to an abstract and normative account of “the people”, who are defined in contrast to a range of others, both internal and external to the nation. Secular iterations might further echo the stratification of present, past and future through a sacralisation of the past and a dramatization of the future. The context of contemporary right-wing and far-right movements poses a series of questions about the relationship between belief and belonging, the acceptability of the secularization of Christian traditions and theologies, and the extent to which Christian communities can legitimately associate with right-wing movements.

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抗议的姿态?后世俗社会中基督徒身份的寻找:在世俗化的末世论与历史的神圣化之间

本文通过对欧洲和美国右翼和极右翼运动中拉丁-基督教神学和时间类型学及其世俗化挪用的比较反思，将“人民”的观念理论化。在“善”与“恶”的宏大叙事中理解世界，源于基督教的末世论希望:宇宙的恢复和更新的希望，以及与基督再来有关的邪恶的最终失败预言。然而，这种善与恶的语言脱离了基督教信仰和神学的广泛语料库。在世俗的表达中，它可能会将善与“人民”的抽象和规范描述联系起来，“人民”被定义为与国家内部和外部的一系列其他人形成对比。通过对过去的神圣化和对未来的戏剧化，世俗的迭代可能会进一步呼应现在、过去和未来的分层。当代右翼和极右翼运动的背景提出了一系列关于信仰与归属感之间关系的问题，基督教传统和神学的世俗化的可接受性，以及基督教社区可以合法地与右翼运动联系在一起的程度。

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来源期刊

International Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Society Arts and Humanities-Religious Studies

CiteScore

0.20

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： The International Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Society aims to create an intellectual frame of reference for the academic study of religion and spirituality and to create an interdisciplinary conversation on the role of religion and spirituality in society. It is intended as a place for critical engagement, examination, and experimentation of ideas that connect religious philosophies to their contexts throughout history in the world, places of worship, on the streets, and in communities. The journal addresses the need for critical discussion on religious issues—specifically as they are situated in the present-day contexts of ethics, warfare, politics, anthropology, sociology, education, leadership, artistic engagement, and the dissonance or resonance between religious tradition and modern trends. Articles published in the journal range from the expansive and philosophical to finely grained analysis based on deep familiarity and understanding of a particular area of religious knowledge. They bring into dialogue philosophers, theologians, policy makers, and educators, to name a few of the stakeholders in this conversation. The journal is relevant to teachers, philosophers, theologians, policy makers, and educators with an interest in, and a concern for, religious practice, religious theory and research, the impact of religious and spiritual traditions on world views, and the impact of current societal trends on religious and spiritual traditions. The International Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Society is peer-reviewed, supported by rigorous processes of criterion-referenced article ranking and qualitative commentary, ensuring that only intellectual work of the greatest substance and highest significance is published.