The following article is part of the SFG publication “Big Questions of Our time: The World Speaks”. To access the full publication please click here.
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It is a taken for granted assumption among some scholars of religion that the secularization of the world has been in reverse gear since the closure of the 20th century – so called ‘de-secularization’.
The truth is that the global south was never secularized to begin with. In the global north, particularly in Europe, the collapse of religiosity continues apace. This decline in belief among Western publics has accelerated considerably as the 21st century unfolded.
Some communitarian scholars have clung to the apparent resilience of traditional religious adherence among populations in developing societies of the global south. However, with the rise of the information age, tentative signs are emerging that societies associated with strong traditional faiths are being confronted with an unprecedented challenge. Secularization occurred in Europe over several tortuous centuries through multiple socio-political processes.
As global attention shifts to the emergence of the BRICS economies the important question becomes: can the societies of the global south manage the profound social and political consequences of secularization when telescoped into a few decades in a networked, globalized society?