Editorial on Ziauddin Sardar Festschrift

Abstract

Our reality, notes Ziauddin Sardar, is increasing postnormal, where much of what we have taken for granted has lost its significance, or become irrelevant. Postnormal times, a neologism invented by Sardar so aptly describes the era that we inhabit. It is also a theory of change that seeks to understand the changing nature of change, and provide tools for navigating or turbulent epoch. As our times burst into postnormality, Sardar stands in the middle of the accelerating global forces of change, the devolution of democracy, global pandemic, and unfolding climate catastrophes. Readers of this Festschrift will see that he is many things: polymath, media figure, writer and thinker, futurist, and father. He is also a planetary citizen–not satisfied with naming a new era, and creating a new theory, postnormal times–he continues to advocate for transnormal futures: more diverse, positive, hopeful, and wise futures. Sardar casts a long shadow, has traveled far and wide, and has contributed significantly to theology, global Islam, futures studies and research, epistemology, and cultural studies, particularly as a critic of postmodernism. I must confess that while I have been acquainted with him for more than three decades, and consider myself his friend, it is only recently that I grasped what a remarkable person he is. Helping give birth to this special issue has only deepened my respect and admiration for the depth and scope of his life’s work. I had a cloistered view of him from futures studies and am beginning to see the bigger picture. I thank the contributors for celebrating his body of writing and thought. This special issue is intended to be a classic Festschrift, presented on his 70th birthday, to honor the work and inspiration given to others by Ziauddin Sardar (hereafter Zia). It is not a eulogy, but an engagement with, and celebration of, the man and his work, unapologetically incomplete given the breadth and scope of his work over the years. This is presumably only the first Festschrift given how much of his work and influence are still untouched here and that he is still very active and continues to breathe life into critical futures studies and Islamic thought. Readers new to his corpus of writing will want to sample Zia’s extensive body of work, that now extends to over 50 books, hundreds of articles, and media. He continues to lead Critical Muslim as Editor, and is the Director of Center for Postnormal Policy and Futures Studies, the network he established to develop and promote postnormal times theory. I came to know Zia through the lens of futures studies. His writing and thinking in the 1990s was aligned with the critical, normative futures studies’ philosophy of Jim Dator and the “Manoa School.” I was particularly impressed