Conceptualising religion in the 21st century: Examining the proposal of Mark C. Taylor in After God
This article summarises and evaluates Mark C. Taylor’s theory of religion as presented in After God. Taylor redescribes religion as an emergent, complex, adaptive network – a term he adopts from the biosciences and physics. Such networks operate as non-totalising wholes. They are co-dependent and c...
Saved in:
| Format: | Article |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of the Free State
2021-12-01
|
| Series: | Acta Theologica |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/at/article/view/5838 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1823858987696652288 |
|---|---|
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
This article summarises and evaluates Mark C. Taylor’s theory of religion as presented in After God. Taylor redescribes religion as an emergent, complex, adaptive network – a term he adopts from the biosciences and physics. Such networks operate as non-totalising wholes. They are co-dependent and co-evolve. It follows that everything is related and there are no absolutes. Taylor
points to the co-determination of religion and secularity as well as theology and theory in the West. Such networks are also self-organising and self-maintaining. As open systems, they thrive at the edge of chaos. Hence, Taylor rejects any closed, rigid system of neo-foundationalism as found in our postmodern, globalised world. For Taylor, there are no solid grounds; there is only creative emergence, from which reality is figured and disfigured in an oscillating interplay. The article closes by pointing out some inconsistencies in Taylor’s own application of religion as complex adaptive system. Due to these inconsistencies, Taylor falls short
of offering a constructive role for contemporary religious traditions and communities.
|
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6b44a5d25d7f44788b3c913823854916 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1015-8758 2309-9089 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | University of the Free State |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Acta Theologica |
| spelling | doaj-art-6b44a5d25d7f44788b3c9138238549162025-02-11T09:35:53ZengUniversity of the Free StateActa Theologica1015-87582309-90892021-12-0110.38140/at.vi.5838Conceptualising religion in the 21st century: Examining the proposal of Mark C. Taylor in After God This article summarises and evaluates Mark C. Taylor’s theory of religion as presented in After God. Taylor redescribes religion as an emergent, complex, adaptive network – a term he adopts from the biosciences and physics. Such networks operate as non-totalising wholes. They are co-dependent and co-evolve. It follows that everything is related and there are no absolutes. Taylor points to the co-determination of religion and secularity as well as theology and theory in the West. Such networks are also self-organising and self-maintaining. As open systems, they thrive at the edge of chaos. Hence, Taylor rejects any closed, rigid system of neo-foundationalism as found in our postmodern, globalised world. For Taylor, there are no solid grounds; there is only creative emergence, from which reality is figured and disfigured in an oscillating interplay. The article closes by pointing out some inconsistencies in Taylor’s own application of religion as complex adaptive system. Due to these inconsistencies, Taylor falls short of offering a constructive role for contemporary religious traditions and communities. https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/at/article/view/5838Theory of ReligionMark C. TaylorSecularityNeo-foundationalism |
| spellingShingle | Conceptualising religion in the 21st century: Examining the proposal of Mark C. Taylor in After God Acta Theologica Theory of Religion Mark C. Taylor Secularity Neo-foundationalism |
| title | Conceptualising religion in the 21st century: Examining the proposal of Mark C. Taylor in After God |
| title_full | Conceptualising religion in the 21st century: Examining the proposal of Mark C. Taylor in After God |
| title_fullStr | Conceptualising religion in the 21st century: Examining the proposal of Mark C. Taylor in After God |
| title_full_unstemmed | Conceptualising religion in the 21st century: Examining the proposal of Mark C. Taylor in After God |
| title_short | Conceptualising religion in the 21st century: Examining the proposal of Mark C. Taylor in After God |
| title_sort | conceptualising religion in the 21st century examining the proposal of mark c taylor in after god |
| topic | Theory of Religion Mark C. Taylor Secularity Neo-foundationalism |
| url | https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/at/article/view/5838 |