Memory and Religion from a Postsecular Perspective

The book explores the relationship between religion and cultural memory, calling for a postsecular turn in memory studies to understand the religious roots of language and the impact of politics, grassroots movements, and secular agents on memory formation. It demonstrates how religion shapes cultural memory, family memory, and contemporary politics in secularized societies.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 422 pages
Publication date: 25 September 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The book delves into the profound significance of religion as a complex system that exerts a profound influence on various aspects of social life, including cultural memory. The editors advocate for a shift towards a postsecular approach in memory studies, aimed at fostering a more reflective and meaningful engagement with the ongoing interplay between the religious and the secular. This transformative perspective offers fresh insights into the intersection of memory and religion, empowering memory scholars to become more cognizant of the religious foundations of the language they employ in their studies of memory. By examining examples from diverse regions worldwide, the contributors to this volume elucidate how the interactions between the religious and the secular generate novel forms and content in the diverse societies of our contemporary world. These analytical cases vividly illustrate the profound impact of religion on cultural memory, family memory, and the contemporary politics of history in secularized societies. Simultaneously, politics, grassroots movements, and various secular agents and processes exert a significant influence on the formation of memory by religious actors, resulting in the secularization of even religious, ecclesiastic, and confessional memories.

This volume serves as an invaluable resource for students and scholars engaged in the fields of memory studies, religious studies, and history. It provides a comprehensive exploration of the multifaceted relationship between religion and memory, shedding light on the ways in which these two forces shape and transform our understanding of the past, present, and future.

Weight: 453g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032206998