Asset Details
Do you wish to reserve the book?
\Oh, God\: Secularization Theory in the Transatlantic Sphere
Hey, we have placed the reservation for you!
By the way, why not check out events that you can attend while you pick your title.
Oops! Something went wrong.
Looks like we were not able to place the reservation. Kindly try again later.
Are you sure you want to remove the book from the shelf?
\Oh, God\: Secularization Theory in the Transatlantic Sphere
Do you wish to request the book?
\Oh, God\: Secularization Theory in the Transatlantic Sphere
Please be aware that the book you have requested cannot be checked out. If you would like to checkout this book, you can reserve another copy
We have requested the book for you!
Your request is successful and it will be processed during the Library working hours. Please check the status of your request in My Requests.
Oops! Something went wrong.
Looks like we were not able to place your request. Kindly try again later.
Journal Article
\Oh, God\: Secularization Theory in the Transatlantic Sphere
2004
Overview
The process of secularization has been one of the most distinct features in the transatlantic sphere. While its trajectory in Europe has been assumed as linear, gradually ascending, and irreversible, this teleological paradigm of modernity has remained a contested ground in the United States ever since. In contrast to Europe, where appeals to divine authority and supernatural explanations of the universe have gradually lost their credibility, US-American culture and politics have always moved between two poles, that is, between religious fundamentalism and enlightened secularism. The dichotomy has evoked a debate among sociologists, political scientists, historians, and theologians about the validity of secularization theory that has been raging for more than twenty years. What is at stake in this debate is not simply the empirical evidence about the degree of religiosity, but the very categories that delineate the phenomenon. The article relates the repercussions of the discussion to the epistemology of American Studies and calls attention to the religious-secular matrix as a long-neglected paradigm of literary and cultural studies.
