The Postmodern and Religion: A Discursive Analysis

Abstract

In modern society, a transformation of the sociocultural functions of religion is observed. One of the approaches in the social-religious sphere is the interpretation in light of postmodernism. In particular, the condition endured by religion is characterised as “postmodernist.” The given condition can be interpreted by an involvement of the gnoseological, ontological, and sociological components. Postmodernity assigns an interpersonal place for religion. The given tendency testifies to both pluralistic religious consciousness and an individualisation of religion which, according to the statement of many researchers, are characteristic features of a modern society . At the same time, the break from religious totality and the variety of religious practices, conditioned by individualisation characteristic of the postmodern, deconstruction , the desacralisation of religion, and pluralistic religious consciousness, are observed. As noted above, one of the features of the postmodernist condition of religion is its politicisation. Hence, the analysis of sociocultural functions of religion reveals the features of its transformation in the postmodern situation, in particular, through the consideration of representations of the postmodern in the socio-religious sphere, points of contact between the postmodern and religion, and a strengthening of the tendency of self-expression by means of various identities as a result of the influence of the postmodern, including the religious.