World Religions and World Culture: How (not) to Conceptualise Faith in World Politics

Abstract

Recently academic research has been confronted with the global religious resurgence that challenges the dominant conceptualisations of faith in world politics. Traditionally, religion has been conceptualised either as a set of transcendental beliefs that are personal and apolitical, or as a set of immanent values that are part of cultures and civilisations. Both conceptions ultimately rest on Western categories such as ‘true faith’ (vera religione) and world religions, which do not reflect the plurality of globalisation. However, contemporary theorists struggle to conceptualise the enduring presence of faith in world politics and the links of religion to culture. The sociological thesis of de-secularisation captures some of the dynamics of resurgent religion against the premises and predictions of the secularisation thesis, but it reduces faith either to inner psychological phenomena connected with human consciousness or to outer social phenomena associated with formal institutions and general spiritual exercises. Both versions underplay the notion of religion as a set of transcendent principles that are embodied practices within a communal body of fellow believers. Likewise, the notion of post-secularity suggests that the moral intuitions of faith should be part of public discourse and be allowed to contribute to the common good, but the renewed role of religion in politics is on secular terms that are largely formalist and procedural. This panel will discuss different ways of conceptualising faith in world politics. The focus will be on the public, political character of faith and on the links between world religions and world cultures. More specifically, the panel will seek to rethink the notion of ‘true faith’ and world religion that take into account the legacy of 19th-century Western colonialism. The panel will also explore how the flow of religions and cultural customs interact with each other and perhaps provide the glue that holds the globe together.

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