Hans Joas’s Faith as an Option is primarily concerned with debunking two myths: first, the idea that modernization—advances in technology and the sciences—renders religious belief obsolete; second, the argument that secularization leads to moral decay. Joas, a leading European social theorist, is more than aware that criticisms of these claims are hardly new—contemporary scholars no longer prove keen to establish a law or rule connecting modernization and secularization, and there seems to be little or no correlation between societies with higher rates of atheism and moral decline. Instead, Joas’s study mainly aims to provide a series of illuminating explanations for why these views captured the imaginations of so many for so long.
Essays
The Immanent Frame publishes essays reflecting on current events, debates in the field, and other public matters relevant to scholarship in secularism and religion.
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Essays
In whose name? ISIS, Islam, and social media
by Dr. Richard AmesburyCommentators routinely remark on the sophisticated use of media by the organization that calls itself the Islamic State, but in the past few weeks many Muslims have been using the Twitter hashtag #NotInMyName to offer a counter-narrative about Islam. The campaign began earlier this month with a video released by the London-based Active Change Foundation, featuring British Muslims speaking out against the organization (variously known as ISIS and ISIL), which, they say, does “not represent Islam or any Muslim.” A recent tweet using the hashtag stated that, “ISIS is not a representation of Islam. My religion is based upon principles of respect, love and harmony.”
October 2, 2014
Essays
The renaissance of political theology
by Devin BykerWhen it comes to political theology, everything old is new again. At least that is the impression given by the growing interest in political theology within early modern literary studies—a dynamic relationship between past and present that often blurs our conventional delineations of what is new and what is old.
July 31, 2014
Book reviews
Blood: A Critique of Christianity
by Daniel Steinmetz-JenkinsThe starting point for Gil Anidjar’s ambitious and daring new book, Blood: A Critique of Christianity, is that modern concepts such as capital, state, and nation have entirely Western-Christian origins.
July 15, 2014
Essays
Jesus, religion, and revolution in the South African elections
by Rachel C. SchneiderIn 2004 and 2008, South African president Jacob Zuma notoriously declared that his party, the African National Congress, will “rule until Jesus comes back.” The recent national election results favor his prediction with the ANC winning its fifth national election since 1994.
June 2, 2014
Essays
Pope Francis and liberation theology
by Brian HamiltonOne year into Francis’s papacy, many observers—both inside and outside the Catholic community—are still holding their breath. He has certainly made a good first impression.
May 9, 2014
Essays
Four patriarchs and a Baptist preacher
by Brittany Pheiffer Noble and Wei ZhuA brief glance back at the history of Ukraine reveals a religiously diverse assortment of leaders.
March 27, 2014
Essays
The forgotten story of the Flushing Remonstrance
by Wei ZhuWalking down Bowne Street in Flushing, Queens, you may see a most interesting sign. “Bowne House; Built in 1661," it reads, "A National Shrine to Religious Freedom.” Flushing is known for many things—the New York Mets, for example, or its Chinatown. It is not, however, known for being the location of one of the first debates over religious conscience and tolerance in the American colonies.
January 15, 2014
Book reviews
The Future of Illusion: Political Theology and Early Modern Texts
by Daniel Steinmetz-JenkinsThe last decade has witnessed a veritable scholarly obsession with the subject of political theology: a multifaceted concept with varying meanings ranging from theocracy studies to the origins of contemporary political ideas.
January 9, 2014
Essays
Whose religion? What freedom?
by Helge ÅrsheimReligious freedom has become an international concept: As the scope of the recently concluded Politics of Religious Freedom project attests to, the grammar of religious freedom has spread far and wide, creating a broad and complex field where international norms and procedures frequently clash with deeply embedded local conceptions of law, religion, and freedom.
December 17, 2013