When the Gods Fall: Varieties of Post-Secularization in a Small, Secularized State
Lengthy debates over the process of secularization in the West have concluded. In many ways, secularization theorists appear to have won the debate: traditional measures of religious vitality reveal a decline in religion. Yet, recent events, especially those involving politics and national identity,...
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ftunivmemphis:oai:digitalcommons.memphis.edu:facpubs-10266 2023-09-05T13:20:32+02:00 When the Gods Fall: Varieties of Post-Secularization in a Small, Secularized State Fordahl, Clayton Ragnarsdóttir, Berglind 2021-06-01T07:00:00Z https://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/facpubs/9267 https://doi.org/10.1017/S1755048320000516 unknown University of Memphis Digital Commons https://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/facpubs/9267 doi:10.1017/S1755048320000516 https://doi.org/10.1017/S1755048320000516 Faculty Publications Sociology text 2021 ftunivmemphis https://doi.org/10.1017/S1755048320000516 2023-08-12T17:47:48Z Lengthy debates over the process of secularization in the West have concluded. In many ways, secularization theorists appear to have won the debate: traditional measures of religious vitality reveal a decline in religion. Yet, recent events, especially those involving politics and national identity, have encouraged scholars and members of the public to reconsider the ways in which something like religion might endure and influence public life in secularized Western nations. This paper uses the exceptional-typical case of Iceland - a modern, Western, secularized country of comparatively small population size - to observe and conceptualize a variety of processes which are here collectively named post-secularization. Its findings suggest that processes which may appear as unrelated or opposing forces - the emergence of new religious movements, the transformation of traditional religious symbols into profane branding, far right nationalist movements - may be part of a single, post-secularization process. Secularization, having fissured the sacred, leaves religion a pliable cultural tool. Text Iceland University of Memphis Digital Commons Politics and Religion 14 2 362 387 |
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University of Memphis Digital Commons |
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Sociology |
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Sociology Fordahl, Clayton Ragnarsdóttir, Berglind When the Gods Fall: Varieties of Post-Secularization in a Small, Secularized State |
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Sociology |
description |
Lengthy debates over the process of secularization in the West have concluded. In many ways, secularization theorists appear to have won the debate: traditional measures of religious vitality reveal a decline in religion. Yet, recent events, especially those involving politics and national identity, have encouraged scholars and members of the public to reconsider the ways in which something like religion might endure and influence public life in secularized Western nations. This paper uses the exceptional-typical case of Iceland - a modern, Western, secularized country of comparatively small population size - to observe and conceptualize a variety of processes which are here collectively named post-secularization. Its findings suggest that processes which may appear as unrelated or opposing forces - the emergence of new religious movements, the transformation of traditional religious symbols into profane branding, far right nationalist movements - may be part of a single, post-secularization process. Secularization, having fissured the sacred, leaves religion a pliable cultural tool. |
format |
Text |
author |
Fordahl, Clayton Ragnarsdóttir, Berglind |
author_facet |
Fordahl, Clayton Ragnarsdóttir, Berglind |
author_sort |
Fordahl, Clayton |
title |
When the Gods Fall: Varieties of Post-Secularization in a Small, Secularized State |
title_short |
When the Gods Fall: Varieties of Post-Secularization in a Small, Secularized State |
title_full |
When the Gods Fall: Varieties of Post-Secularization in a Small, Secularized State |
title_fullStr |
When the Gods Fall: Varieties of Post-Secularization in a Small, Secularized State |
title_full_unstemmed |
When the Gods Fall: Varieties of Post-Secularization in a Small, Secularized State |
title_sort |
when the gods fall: varieties of post-secularization in a small, secularized state |
publisher |
University of Memphis Digital Commons |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/facpubs/9267 https://doi.org/10.1017/S1755048320000516 |
genre |
Iceland |
genre_facet |
Iceland |
op_source |
Faculty Publications |
op_relation |
https://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/facpubs/9267 doi:10.1017/S1755048320000516 https://doi.org/10.1017/S1755048320000516 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/S1755048320000516 |
container_title |
Politics and Religion |
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14 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
362 |
op_container_end_page |
387 |
_version_ |
1776201206697295872 |