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2.3 Diversification
The third feature of a post-secular society is the pluralism of religious beliefs, cultures, and world views. The first two characteristics of a post-secular society, namely the continuation of a secularization process and the persistence of religious public influence, have determined that in a post-secular society, there will inevitably be a diversity of religious beliefs, cultures and worldviews (Bruce, 2011: 47; McLennan, 2015:126). From a geographical point of view, the diversified facts can be understood from the following two aspects. On the one hand, citizens with different cultures and religious traditions inevitably get together in a same political community. In a modern society, there is hardly a country with a single culture or religious belief. On the other hand, at the international and global levels, collisions, conflicts, and exchanges are inevitable between different cultures and religious beliefs. As the secularization process continues, the problem becomes more complicated. For traditional cultures or religious beliefs, the fact of pluralism means that a certain religious tradition has to face other divergent religious traditions, and it also means that they have to face various secular worldviews and cognitive methods (Bruce, 2011: 47; McLennan, 2015:140).
Diversified facts can be explained not only from a geographical point of view, but also from the institutional, social, and individual levels. From an institutional and social perspective, the coexistence of diverse cultures and religious beliefs has made the relationship between secular countries and religions critical. This is because it is directly related to the issue of the source of national solidarity and integration of a political community (Habermas, 2008b: 136). From an individual perspective, the fact of pluralism means that for individuals, diversification of world views and beliefs gives individuals the freedom to choose, practice, and even change their beliefs. The fact of pluralism draws us to notice that there is more than one way to absolute truth. Personally, the fact of pluralism does not only exist between different religious beliefs, but also between religious beliefs and various secular worldviews (Habermas, 2008b: 136).
With regard to the pluralism of culture and religious beliefs, it must also be noted that this diversified fact does not exist in the entire social sphere. Instead, they exist only at certain levels in a society. As far as the social structure and system are concerned, modern Western societies are basically in a similar situation, that is, in the economic field, it is based on money, and in the political field, it takes power as the guide line. Behind these areas is the support of intrinsic, instrumental, functionalist and practical secular rationality (Habermas, 2008b: 136).
3.0 Analysis
The above content analyses the three characteristics of a post-secular society. The following will analyze the reasons and manifestations of the above three characteristics from three aspects, so as to determine whether a post-secular society has come.
3.1 The secularization characteristics of a post-secular society
The reason for why a post-secular society as a living situation is a secular society lies in that religious beliefs have lost their former status and influence to varying degrees, both at the institutional level and at the social and individual level. Not only in developed European and American countries, but also in the third world countries, this assertion has its rationality (Loobuyck and Rummens, 2010: 55). Taking Europe as an example to elaborate, judging from the institutional level, church and secular countries in modern European society have been separated by different external forms, and they have maintained relative independence from each other. One of the consequences of this is that the church can no longer spread and maintain its own beliefs and worldview through institutional institutions. This means that traditional institutional religions will inevitably lose their previous social foundations and benefit safeguard in various degrees in the secular modern society. In this way, church has gradually evolved from a basic social system and organization in the Middle Ages to a sub-system in a modern society (Bruce, 2013:369).
Not only at the institutional level, religion is in a secular context, it is even more so in terms of social awareness and individual level. Bruce (2011:23) came to a basic conclusion after invoking and analyzing statistics from various social surveys that a trend (the decline of Western religions) lasted for a century will continue (Bruce, 2011:23). Bruce's trend of decline in religion refers to that both in western European and in Eastern European societies. Bruce cited a great deal of sociology statistical data to draw the conclusions that, on the one hand, European church attendance has been on a downward trend, while at the same time, the rate of self-believers is on the rise (Bruce, 2011); on the other hand, European Christian church itself (whether it is the Catholic church or the Protestant church) is also undergoing changes. Changes themselves are complex and they can be summarized as internal secularization (Bruce, 2011: 13). On the social level, in the European context, it can be thought as being in a secular society.
3.2 Deficiency of secularization theory
The development of modern science and technology and the strengthening of modern society's rationalization have not completely eliminated religions. On the contrary, in modern society, the influence of religions cannot be ignored. This particular phenomenon makes people have to rethink the problems contained in the secularization theory, especially the narrowness and arbitraryness of secularism (Loobuyck and Rummens, 2010: 55; McLennan, 2010:138). This makes the theoretical basis and internal logic of secularism gradually clarified and criticized. The focus of criticism mainly focuses on the following aspects. First, secularists ignore the special context and the complexity of motivation that arises from the secularization process. Second, secularism simply equates secularization with modernization and then simply contrasts religion with modern society. Finally, on the political level, secularism completely separates the modern democratic political order from religion and ignores the internal connection between the two. In addition, one of the main logics of secularism is that the relationship between reason and faith is a “zero-sum game,” and it is also the main object of questioning and criticism McLennan, 2010:137). The development of this logic is that secularism sets religion as the irrational, superstitious and arbitrary, and sets the secular as the rational, scientific, and democratic McLennan, 2010:129). Because of the above distinction and opposition, secularism will not see the religious factors in the modern society and cultural origin, let alone the positive role played by religion in the process of the formation of modernity. In addition, secularism underestimates the rational factors contained in the major religions of the world. Taking Christianity as an example, the history of the development of Christian theology and teaching is basically the history of apologetics and debate. In this process, on the one hand, Christianity uses rational discourse to debate with heresy and paganism; on the other hand, Christianity also engages in dialogue with the secular society itself. In the process of dialogue and debate, Christianity inevitably has to reflect on its own problems and actively make changes or even reforms. If this aspect is neglected, it will be difficult to understand and explain the history of the Grand Duke Conference, various apologetics, Protestant reforms, and Catholic anti-religious reforms (Casanova, 1994: 78).
3.3 Reciprocal learning and critique between rationality and religious belief
Ratzinger (2006: 77-78) pointed out that the process of Western society is a process of mutual critique and mutual absorption between the Christian tradition and the Greek philosophical tradition, and because in history, both rationality and belief constantly show their own limitations and pathologies, so both need to purify each other. This is why reason must also be warned to remain within its proper limits, and reason must learn to listen to the great religious traditions of mankind. If rationality itself is totally refusing to learn this connection, then rationality will become destructive (Loobuyck and Rummens, 2010: 55). In the view of Habermas’, a post-secular society is the living environment in which people exist in and must face, and he proposed, there is a need to learn from each other and critique each other between reason and religious beliefs.
Since the reformation and the enlightenment movement, religions have made changes in the face of the challenges brought about by changes in their living conditions. These changes are mainly manifested in the following aspects. Religious citizens must understand the relationship between doctrine beliefs and secular knowledge from the perspective of their religions. That is, autonomous development of secular knowledge can not conflict with the teachings of their faith. They embed modern natural law and morality in the context of their entire teachings in a convincing manner (Casanova, 1994:93). Religious citizens must take a more rational understanding of other religious worldviews, modern science, positive law and secular morality in the face of challenges. Through reflection, religious citizens recognize that their own religious worldview is only an interpretation of the world, not the world itself. In this way, religious citizens will not regard their own religious worldview as the only correct doctrine, and then regard other worldviews and religious beliefs as mistakes and reject them (McLennan, 2015:138; McLennan, 2010:3). |
