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Postmodern religion
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Postmodern religion[1][2] can be defined as any type of Wikipedia:religion that is influenced, interpreted or shaped by Wikipedia:postmodernism and postmodern philosophies.[3][4] Examples of religions that may be interpreted using postmodern philosophy include Wikipedia:Postmodern Christianity,[5] Postmodern Neopaganism, and Wikipedia:Postmodern Buddhism.[6] Postmodern religion is not an attempt to banish religion from the public sphere; rather, it is a philosophical approach to religion that critically considers orthodox assumptions (that may reflect power differences in society rather than universal truths).[7] Postmodern religious systems of thought view realities as plural and subjective Wikipedia:subjective and dependent on the individual's Wikipedia:worldview. Postmodern interpretations of religion acknowledge and value a multiplicity of diverse interpretations of truth, being and ways of seeing. There is a rejection of sharp distinctions and global or dominant Wikipedia:metanarratives in postmodern religion and this reflects one of the core principles[8] of postmodern philosophy. A postmodern interpretation of religion emphasises the key point that religious truth is highly individualistic, subjective and resides within the individual.[9]
| Subjective | Pluralistic | Critical Interpretations | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Many versions of truth | Different Perspectives | Critical consideration/analysis | Non-dogmatic |
| Individual Interpretations | Different interpretations | Historical Bias, Bias | Syncretic and eclectic |
| Different ways of seeing or believing | Power relationships | Influence of social and cultural contexts | Represents diversity (class, gender, race) |
Contents
Eclecticism and non-dogmatic theology[edit]
According to Wikipedia:postmodern philosophy, society is in a state of constant change. There is no absolute version of reality, no absolute truths. Postmodern religion strengthens the perspective of the individual and weakens the strength of institutions and religions that deal with objective realities. Postmodern religion considers that there are no universal religious truths or laws, rather, reality is shaped by social, historical and cultural contexts according to the individual, place and or time. Individuals may seek to draw eclectically on diverse religious beliefs, practices and rituals in order to incorporate these into their own religious world view.
In Japan, Wikipedia:Shinto and Wikipedia:Buddhist ideas are woven together and co-exist. Some people who practice Buddhism Wikipedia:Buddhism may be syncretic in their approach. Syncretism occurs among the Wikipedia:Eastern religions.[10] Similarly, versions of Wikipedia:Hinduism[11] and Wikipedia:Neopaganism[12] may also be interpreted from a postmodern perspective. A Postmodern religion can be non-dogmatic, syncretic, eclectic, draws from various faiths and traditions and challenges the notion of absolute truths.
Historical bias[edit]
History may be written by powerful groups in society, who may Wikipedia:marginalise, silence or misrepresent other, less powerful or oppressed groups. For example, Wikipedia:Winston Churchill said "History is written by the victors."[13] Similarly, Wikipedia:Alex Haley commented that "History is written by the winners".Template:Citation needed
A postmodern interpretation of religion emphasises the importance of questioning and considering historical bias when studying religion from a historical perspective. For example, doctoral studies in religion at Wikipedia:Harvard emphasise studying religion using wider contexts of history and comparative studies. It is these "wider contexts" that makes religion a valid subject of postmodern contemplation.[14] Studies of religion are often approached from a historical perspective. A postmodern interpretation of a religion acknowledges that history can be represented in an inherently biased way, reinforcing the mainstream Wikipedia:ideologies of those in power.
Versions of truth[edit]
Postmodern religion acknowledges and accepts different versions of truth. For example, Wikipedia:rituals, beliefs and practices can be invented, transformed, created and reworked based on constantly shifting and changing realities, individual preference, Wikipedia:myths, Wikipedia:legends, Wikipedia:archetypes, rituals and cultural values and beliefs. Individuals who interpret religion using postmodern philosophy may draw from the histories of various cultures to inform their religious beliefs - they may questions, reclaim, challenge and critique representations of religion in history based on the theories of postmodernism, which acknowledge that realities are diverse, subjective and depend on the individuals interests and interpretations.[15]
Appeal to marginalized groups in society[edit]
Members of groups in society who face Wikipedia:discrimination or who are Wikipedia:marginalized, such as Wikipedia:women, the Wikipedia:Gay community or other Wikipedia:ethnic minority groups, may be drawn to postmodern religious thinking. For example, the interpretation of Christianity from a postmodern perspective offers the potential for groups in society, such as the Gay community or women, the ability to connect with a version of reality or truth that does not exclude or marginalize them. A postmodern interpretation of religion may focus on considering a religion without orthodox assumptions (that may reflect power differences in society rather than universal truths).[7] In Wikipedia:Semitic Neopaganism, a postmodern approach to this tradition of Neopaganism involves challenging or reclaiming mainstream versions of reality and truth that may be more inclusive of women.[16] Minority groups and the socially or economically disadvantaged may be drawn to follow a postmodern approach to religion, because of the way that postmodern philosophy empowers the individual and provides an "emancipatory framework"[17] with which to challenge mainstream ideologies or dominant power structures.
Postmodern interpretations of religion[edit]
Christianity[edit]
Interpreting Wikipedia:Christianity using theories of postmodernism usually involves finding the balance between acknowledging pluralism, a plurality of views and historical influence on doctrine and avoiding the extremes of postmodernism. John Riggs proposes that postmodernism and Christianity have much to offer each other. He asserts that Christians who have adopted elements of postmodern thinking still need to acknowledge that some notions of reality need to be fixed and real in order to have "meaningful claims about vital topics such as ethics and God".[18] An example of a specific religious movement that uses postmodern thinking is the Wikipedia:Emerging Church.
The most challenging aspect of postmodern religion and philosophy in relation to Christianity, is that there is less emphasis on metanarratives or universal versions of truth. While some Christians using postmodern theory as an interpretative tool have found this problematic - particularly in terms of reconciling belief with Wikipedia:critical literacy and Wikipedia:deconstruction theory, there has been a gradual acceptance of in some Christian movements of the need to acknowledge 'local and specific narratives', pluralism and a diversity of perspectives.
According to research, Postmodern religious interpretations can be very harmonious with ancient beliefs systems and these systems can be reconciled with postmodern ideas. Many evangelists assert, for example, that in a postmodern era (characterised by a decentralization of institutions, Wikipedia:alienation and Wikipedia:apathy), some people might better able to relate to the idea of the Church, by interpreting beliefs in a way that fits their own individual belief system. Theologians assert that using postmodern philosophy to consider how ideas are represented, how values and beliefs can change depending on the social or historical context, how bias can exclude and marginalise certain groups in society, more people will be able to find God, albeit through many different and varied pathways.
Critical interpretation of important texts of Christianity (and Christianity as a discourse), such as the Wikipedia:Bible, reveal that it is a religion underpinned by values and beliefs connected to ethics, mortality, justice, a desire to help, Wikipedia:love and acceptance. Because postmodern theory emphasises ethics, fairness, rigid and critical consideration of texts and an avoidance of bias, the beliefs systems of Christianity and a postmodern theological approach can be compatible.
Neopaganism[edit]
Wikipedia:Neopaganism can be interpreted from a postmodern perspective.[12] Postmodern religion can be non-dogmatic, syncretic, eclectic, and draw from various faiths and traditions and challenges the notion of absolute truths. Wicca, the largest tradition of Neopaganism, can be interpreted using postmodern philosophies.[19] Postmodern interpretations of Wicca often lead to the practitioner adopting a more eclectic approach, because the very nature of postmodern theory involves the acceptance of many versions of truth and reality.
Wikipedia:Eclectic Wicca is the most widely adapted form of Wikipedia:Wicca in America today[20] and the core philosophies of postmodern thinking are often[21][22][23] used in order to form an interpretation of Wicca that is highly individual and characterized by the subjective questioning of reality and truth. This version of Wicca may draw electically from, adapt, challenge and adopt a wider range of religious beliefs and perspectives, such as Wikipedia:Buddhism, Wikipedia:Shintoism, Wikipedia:Druidism and Wikipedia:Hinduism and Wicca and Wikipedia:Goddess movements such as Wikipedia:Dianic Wicca, Wikipedia:Celtic Wicca and Wikipedia:Semitic Neopaganism.[24]
Postmodern interpretations of Wicca tend to be context driven, egalitarian, immanent and experiential[25] Traditionally, academic texts often represent Wicca in literature and research as a specific tradition that is underpinned by discourses of modernism,[26]however, census data indicates that religious syncretism[27] is more prevalent - the majority of Wiccans in America are eclectic, pluralistic, solitary and draw from a range of different religious belief systems.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ Powell, Jim (1998). Postmodernism For Beginners. ISBN 978-1-934389-09-6
- ↑ "Postmodernism". Encyclopedia of Science and Religion. Ed. Ray Abruzzi and Michael J. McGandy. Macmillan-Thomson Gale, 2003. eNotes.com. 2006. 27 Dec, 2010
- ↑ Patton, K.; Ray, B. (2008). A Magic Still Dwells: Comparative Religion in the Postmodern Age. University of California Press, Berkeley - "a postmodern study of religion" p199
- ↑ Rebecca Redwood, (1999). "From Yoder to Yoda: Models of Traditional, Modern, and Postmodern Religion in U.S. Constitutional Law," Arizona Law Review, 41:49, .
- ↑ Oxford University Press - Journals - Aaron Stuvland http://jcs.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2010/08/12/jcs.csq055.extract
- ↑ On Deconstructing Life-Worlds: Buddhism, Christianity, Culture (Atlanta: Scholars Press of American Academy of Religion, 1997; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000; ISBN 0-7885-0295-6, cloth, ISBN 0-7885-0296-4, pbk
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Clarke, Peter (2009). The Oxford Handbook of the sociology of religion. Oxford University Press. Page 306.
- ↑ Lévi-Strauss, Claude. Structural Anthropology. Trans. Claire Jacobson and Brooke Grundfest Schoepf (First published New York: Basic Books, 1963; New York: Anchor Books Ed., 1967), 324.
- ↑ Eve, Raymond. "Wiccans vs. Creationists: An Empirical Study of How Two Systems of Belief Differ". The University of Texas. [1]
- ↑ BBC Religions: Postmodernism http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/atheism/types/postmodernism.shtml
- ↑ Hatcher, B. (1999). Eclecticism and Modern Hindu Discourse. Oxford University Press USA.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Lewis, James (1996). Magic religion and Modern Witchcraft. New York University Press. Page 46: "While pre-modern themes form the foundation for this movement it is the manner that such themes are reworked to be appropriate in the contemporary context that form the greatest relevance to the significance of Witchcraft as a postmodern form of spirituality".
- ↑ World War 2 in Europe, Africa, and the Americas, with general sources By Loyd E. Lee, Robin D. S. Higham - Page 29.
- ↑ Patton, K.; Ray, B. (2008). A Magic Still Dwells: Comparative Religion in the Postmodern Age, p. 132. University of California Press, Berkeley
- ↑ Heelas, Paul (1998) Religion, modernity, and postmodernity - page 4 and 5
- ↑ Raphael, Melissa (April 1998). "Goddess Religion, Postmodern Jewish Feminism, and the Complexity of Alternative Religious Identities", ‌Nova Religion, Vol. 1, No. 2, Pages 198–215 (abstract can be found at: [2]
"This paper argues that Jewish Goddess feminism illustrates the complexity of alternative religious identities and their fluid, ambiguous, and sometimes intimate historical, cultural, and religious connections to mainstream religious identities. While Jewish Goddess feminists find contemporary Judaism theologically and politically problematic, thealogy (feminist discourse on the Goddess and the divinity of femaleness) can offer them precisely the sacralization of female generativity that mainstream Judaism cannot". - ↑ Patricia M. Mcdonough, Peter Mclaren (1996). "Postmodern Studies of Gay and Lesbian Lives in Academia", Harvard Educational Review, Summer 1996 Issue
- ↑ Riggs, J. (2003). Postmodern Christianity: Doing Theology in the Contemporary World, pp. ix-x. Trinity Press International. ISBN 978-1563383649
- ↑ Lewis, James (1996). Magic religion and Modern Witchcraft. New York University Press. Page 46, "... While premodern themes form the foundation for this movement it is the manner that such themes are reworked to be appropriate in the contemporary context that form the greatest relevance to the significance of Witchcraft as a postmodern form of spirituality".
- ↑ Smith, Diane. Wicca and Witchcraft for Dummies
- ↑ Patridge, Christopher. "Alternative Spiritualities, New Religions, and the Reenchantment of the West", in James Lewis (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements (2004)
- ↑ Anderson, Walter Truett. "Four Ways to Be Absolutely Right", in Anderson (ed.), The Truth About the Truth: De-confusing and Re-constructing the Postmodern World (1995)
- ↑ Fisher, Amber. Journal of Western Mystery Tradition, Vol. 1. [3]
- ↑ Raphael, Melissa (April 1998). "Goddess Religion, Postmodern Jewish Feminism, and the Complexity of Alternative Religious Identities", ‌Nova Religion, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 198–215
- ↑ Werner, Michael. "Ecofeminism, Neopaganism, and the Gaia Movement in the Postmodern Age", Humanism Today, vol. 7 (1992)
- ↑ Eilberg-Schwartz, Howard. “Witches of the West: Neopaganism and Goddess Worship as Enlightenment Religionsâ€, Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion, vol. 5, no. 1 (1989)
- ↑ Webster's Definition of Religious Syncretism
[[[Category:Esotericism]][[[Category:Esoteric schools of thought]][Category:Postmodernism]]
