The church and the secular: The effect of the post-secular on Christianity (original) (raw)

FUTURE OF RELIGION IN THE POSTMODERN SECULAR CONTEXT

The International Scientific Conference Communication, Context, Interdisciplinarity, 2014

Secularization and the future of religion are current topics of interest not only for the philosophy of religion and for Christian theology, but also for other areas of culture and contemporary society. Postmodern thinking has changed the nature of society and how religion is viewed and practiced. What has changed in the perception of religion in today's society, and how will the religious phenomenon look in this century? Gianni Vattimo, René Girard, Richard Rorty, Charles Taylor are thinkers who debate on the return of religion in public discourse and in the academic space. In this context, Gianni Vattimo speaks about secularization as a destiny of Christianity. He sees secularization as a form of expression of Christianity, and not any form, but the best expression. Secularization does not have to be seen as a negative phenomenon, but a positive one to helpChristianity to fulfill its purpose.

Secularization, Models of the Church, and Spirituality

Studia Nauk Teologicznych PAN

This paper has an ambitious aim: to predict the future of the Church. How can anyone undertake such an enterprise since the one thing we know for certain about history is omnia aliter, that is, everything will be different than we once imagined. However, such a project is not as unfeasible as it seems. In the footsteps of literary critics, economists, historians, political scientists, philosophers, and theologians, we sketch some of the most likely shifts in the light of already-observable trends using the finest hermeneutics available. First, we interpret the most significant global trend today: secularization (sections 1). Second, we present and evaluate current models for the future of the Church, paying particular attention to the Magisterium of Pope Francis (sections 2). Finally, we predict likely developments in the area of spirituality (sections 3). In setting out to write academically about futuristic topics, we are aware that one looks to the future not so much to predict i...

The Secularization of the Church: Causes and Theological Remedies

Kairos Evangelical Journal of Theology, Vol. XIV No. 2 , 2020

The aim of this paper is to explore a few factors that contribute to the tendency towards secularization in the evangelical churches in Central and Eastern Europe. It further suggests theological remedies to address the causes of secularization. The thesis of this paper is that there are three causes for the tendency towards secularization. First is the secularization of theological education, second is the crisis of ecclesial identity, and third is the secularization of leadership. The first proposal of this paper is that the remedy for the secularization of theological education is redefining theology as communion, theological education as transformation, and theological formation as discipleship. Second, the remedy for the crisis of ecclesial identity that leads to negative identity markers is the replacement of the external conformation model of Christian life (which leads to social isolation, subculturality, and spiritual abuse) with the internal transformation model, which leads to a healthy spirituality and a meaningful theology of mission. Third and finally, the remedy for the secularization of leadership is the rediscovery of the kenotic model of Christian life and ministry.

Deconstruction of Christianity in the Postmodern Age: What Remains after That?

Journal of Islamic and Religious Studies

This article provides an insight into the project of deconstruction of Christianity by applying the interpretation of Derrida’s deconstruction in the language of Christian theology. The focus of this paper is on Caputo’s work, which is known as the leading interpreter of Derrida’s deconstruction. It is explored that how Caputo’s project of deconstruction redefines Christianity and what remains of Christianity after that. This study analyses that the project of Deconstruction of Christianity by Caputo was based on the question that how to talk about God or how to be a Christian in the postmodern age. His response to these basic questions leads to a non-particular and non-theologized form of Christianity, which is not different from other (religions/worldviews), because Christianity which remains after the deconstruction, simply withdraws itself from the exclusivist ways/teachings, and the Bible is not an exception to that. Deconstructed Christianity is a religion, where God is dista...

THE CHURCH AND THE CHALLENGES OF POSTMODERN PHILOSOPHY AND HERMENEUTICS

2016

THE CHURCH AND THE CHALLENGES OF POSTMODERN PHILOSOPHY AND HERMENEUTICS: A CRITICAL EVALUATION OF JOHN D. CAPUTO’S PHILOSOPHY AND THEOLOGY, JAMES K. A. SMITH’S THE FALL OF INTERPRETATION: PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS FOR A CREATIONAL HERMENEUTIC, AND MEROLD WESTPHAL’S WHOSE COMMUNITY? WHICH INTERPRETATION? PHILOSOPHICAL HERMENEUTICS FOR THE CHURCH In this work, three books will be evaluated, by the following authors: John D. Caputo, (Philosophy and Theology), James K. A. Smith (The Fall of Interpretation: Philosophical Foundations for a Creational Hermeneutic) and Merold Westphal (Whose Community? Which Interpretation? Philosophical Hermeneutics for the Church). What these books have in common is, they each consider the features and challenges of the postmodern situation in which the Church lives today. These authors address how the Church should respond to postmodern culture and philosophy, as well as integrate elements such as philosophy, deconstruction and philosophical hermeneutics in its theology and interpretation of Scripture. A critical analysis of these books will allow us to assess their main theses and to isolate matters touched upon that would benefit from further discussion and development. The work of other philosophers and theologians who, in one way or another, are engaged in the study of religious philosophy, or philosophical theology, and hermeneutics, will be availed of to assist the evaluation of the three works under consideration in this paper.