Spirituality in the post-9/11 world is a complex topic. The detente between secular culture and religious faith that characterised the 20th century, the mutual ignorance pact, has been shattered. From the rise of Islamic extremism to the American Christian Right to the fiercely anti-religious writings of staunch atheists such as Richard Dawkins, the controversy over what role the spiritual can or should play in our lives, public and private, has never been more widely discussed or hotly contended. In Postsecularism, Mike King posits that out of this conflict between socially dominant secular thinkers and the new defenders of faith is arising a distinct way of thinking that is neither a return to pre-Enlightenment beliefs nor a continued hegemony of the secular the postsecular. At once retention of secular critical attitudes and a return in all seriousness to questions of the spirit, the postsecular provides a framework within which to move beyond the extremism of faithful and atheists alike. Drawing on contemporary thinkers from across the spiritual spectrum including Dawkins, Antony Flew, Christopher Hitchens, Alister McGrath, Daniel Dennett, Keith Ward, Richard Swinburne and Martin Amis, King carefully constructs a new mode of thought and explores its relevance to everything from physics to the arts, postmodernism, and feminism. What emerges is a thoughtful and persuasive discussion of the route to reconciliation between the combative worlds of the religious and the secular.

Spirituality in the post-9/11 world is a complex topic. The detente or 'mutual ignorance pact' between secular culture and religious faith that characterised most of the twentieth century has been shattered in the early twenty-first. From the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and the American Christian Right to the fiercely antireligious writings of staunch atheists such as Richard Dawkins, arguments over the role that religion and spirituality should play in our lives have never been more hotly debated. One extremism is pitted against another, but a new voice of moderation, a hidden challenge to both extremisms, is now emerging. In Postsecularism, the follow-up to his acclaimed Secularism, Mike King posits that out of the conflict between socially dominant secular thinkers and the embattled 'new defenders of faith', a third approach arises which is neither a return to pre-Enlightenment beliefs, nor a continued hegemony of the secular. King identifies this as the postsecular. It retains critical modes of thought and at the same time returns in all seriousness to questions of the spirit. The postsecular provides a framework within which to move beyond religious and atheist extremism. Drawing on a wide range of contemporary thinkers from Dawkins to Anthony Flew, from Christopher Hitchens to Alister McGrath, King identifies a new mode of thought, exploring its relevance to everything from physics to the arts, postmodernism, and feminism. What emerges is a thoughtful and persuasive discussion of the route to reconciliation between the combative worlds of the religious and the secular.

About the Author
Dr Mike King is Reader at London Metropolitan University. He serves as Director for the Scientific and Medical Network, a charity devoted to combating scientific materialism, and sits on the Steering Group for the Wrekin Trust Forum, which promotes spiritual learning on all levels within society.

Reviews
'Mike King's knowledge is impressive, ranging from quantum mechanics to contemporary music, as well as texts arguing for and against religion. He is perhaps at his most original when he applies the Sanskrit terms bhakti, glossed as the devotional spiritual impulse, as opposed to jnani, non-theistic insight, to make comparisons across widely different spiritual traditions, each of which has a mystical virtuosity at its core.' Jonathan Benthall, in The Times Literary Supplement, 11 December 2009 "'Postsecularism' engages, importantly, with a contemporary debate on the competing validites of sciences and religion. It provides a well-appraised overview of the dialogue between science and religion, and makes an intriguing argument for furthering a post-secular sensibilty and, in some ways, for recognising cultural difference." A. Ranasinghe, Millenium: Journal of International Studies, vol 39, issue 3



Book Information
ISBN 9780227172476
Author Mike King
Format Paperback
Page Count 280
Imprint James Clarke & Co Ltd
Publisher James Clarke & Co Ltd
Weight(grams) 443g