[September 2000 journal entry]
I do think the ‘religionless’ idea/concept is time bound as a serious alternative for individuals and societies. Until the various social experiments from the 17th century forward with reorganizing politically, economically, educationally, and ethically ‘from below’ (i.e., the underpinnings being evident in democracies and in scientific inquiry/decision-making) -- the official and majority perspectives from antiquity to the late 18th century were variations on a ‘from above’ (i.e., ‘religious’) a priori. Here lies the radical and revolutionizing significance of the secularization that eventually marginalized ‘from above’ institutions (e.g., monarchy, nobility, religion/church, . . .). I do not think secularization necessarily results in a spiritually empty secularism, naturalism, materialism or a spirituality that is cutoff from ‘Jesus’. However, without considerable care and substantial existential courage/risk, superficial approaches to ‘religionless’ spirituality tend to sprout pretty quickly/easily.
I do think the ‘religionless’ idea/concept is time bound as a serious alternative for individuals and societies. Until the various social experiments from the 17th century forward with reorganizing politically, economically, educationally, and ethically ‘from below’ (i.e., the underpinnings being evident in democracies and in scientific inquiry/decision-making) -- the official and majority perspectives from antiquity to the late 18th century were variations on a ‘from above’ (i.e., ‘religious’) a priori. Here lies the radical and revolutionizing significance of the secularization that eventually marginalized ‘from above’ institutions (e.g., monarchy, nobility, religion/church, . . .). I do not think secularization necessarily results in a spiritually empty secularism, naturalism, materialism or a spirituality that is cutoff from ‘Jesus’. However, without considerable care and substantial existential courage/risk, superficial approaches to ‘religionless’ spirituality tend to sprout pretty quickly/easily.
