We began the second half of the semester with some readings on secularism and secularization. In particular we read about “the secularization theory” and the perceived intersection between the decline of religion, secular society, and modernity. Having spent the last 8 weeks reading and thinking about religion and globalization, your final essay for the course will revisit this issue.
Based on the reading and thinking that you have done for this class, in your opinion are these authors right this time or were they right back then?
Using two real world examples from course readings, please answer the following question:
Is there a “resurgence of religion” in the world as some now argue, or is the current focus on religion and global politics simply a temporary reaction to 9/11 and subsequent events? In other words, do the arguments that there is a global resurgence of religion reflect actual trends in the world, or is this so-called “resurgence” simply a bump along the road to the secularized world forecast by secularization theorists several decades ago?
