Restoring Sight to the Blind: Secularism and Ritual (original) (raw)

Ministry in our secular age is continually confronted with the reality of individuals whose experience of the world is such that religion is not only irrelevant, but inconceivable. Consistent with the Enlightenment ethos, the prevailing sense of our secular age is that we live in a world that is grounded in fact, and inspired by the ideals of reason, science, humanism and progress. Foremost among these is reason. Viewing the world through the lens of reason to the exclusion of all else, the secular vision of life is effectively blind to the transcendent, seeing the goal of life as human flourishing, in this world. Charles Taylor provides a helpful way to think about the secular age through his concept of an imminent frame, with either an open take or a closed spin. The imminent frame can be viewed as a transitional space between one state and another, and the take or spin as an open or closed perspective on the transcendent. Those with an open perspective have an awareness that perhaps there is "more" to existence than the visible, empirical world which we inhabit and can see with our eyes. This awareness provides a possible opportunity for dialogue between the secular mindset and the transcendent. In this essay, we will explore the challenge of finding adequate ways to describe the transcendent in light of the secular mindset. If we can do so, we have a way to speak meaningfully not just of transcendence, but of life in Christ as well, which is ultimately oriented towards the transformation of the individual, in Christ. The idea of transformation takes us beyond the notion of flourishing and responds to a deeper longing of the human heart and soul. Beginning with the work of Charles Taylor, and moving into a discussion of wonder and beauty, we will explore the idea of transformation. By taking a brief look at ritual studies, we will attempt to frame the Divine Liturgy as a ritual act which leads to transformation, and thus addresses a basic human need for transcendence.