After Modernity?: Secularity, Globalization, and the Reenchantment of the World

by James K.A. Smith (Editor)

After Modernity? addresses a cluster of questions and issues found at the nexus of globalization and religion. This unique volume examines various religious--especially Christian--evaluations of and responses to globalization. In particular, the book considers the links among globalization, capitalism and secularization-and the ways in which "religion" is (or can be) deployed to address a range of "hot button" topics. With cross-disciplinary analyses, the collection argues consistently for the necessity of a "post-secular" evaluation of globalization that unapologetically draws on the resources of Christian faith. The "conservative radicalism" represented in these contributions will resonate with a broad audience of scholars and citizens who seek to put faith into action.

Genres: Theology

340 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2008

Reviews

[Jacob Aitken · Rating 4 out of 5]

A group of authors, most of whom are either neo-Calvinist or Radical Orthodoxy, probe the connections between globalization, capitalism, secularism, and the rise and fall of religion in the midst of it. While the authors were in no way agreed, and many of the essays were actually rebuttals to the others, most defined secularism as a distinctly modern, Enlightenment confidence in which religious discourse would wane as reason triumphed (7). Globalization is similarly defined as a mode of life that grew out of the mechanisations of modernity.

OVERVIEW OF THE KEY ESSAYS
The best parts of the book were the beginning and end. John Milbank urged a return to a neo-Medieval communitarianism. He defined "rule" as "providing good order," to give something--which is to share and empower the "other" into the act of ruling (29). Milbank builds off Wyclif: the owning or property is for the induction of others into the shared rule of society (33). However, Milbank is not arguing for democracy or democratic republicanism. (If you want to know the difference, leave a comment and it can be discussed).

The end of the book, which argued for the re-enchantment of the world, was superb. The authors urge a return to liturgy and the church calendar, noting that liturgical acts are formative on the Christian life. The last essay of the book is a call for a qualified Agrarianism. He is not advocating "going Amish," but simply pointing out the advantages of living close to the land.

Criticisms:
The book is not perfect. I found the section on globalization particularly weak. While I have my criticisms of capitalism, I found their take on it to be naive and a straw man. Not even the most greedy capitalist is arguing that we should keep the poor poor. And even though most greedy capitalists are greedy, they know that simply throwing money at poor people does not solve poverty--it often makes it worse. (Incidentally, though the essayists do not consider this, the last essay on agrarianism can solve much of the poverty in America).

Secondly, I think John Milbank is the only one to understand that if one argues for socialism without divorcing it from the "State," then one gets the exact same corporational elitism that one originally opposed (only the government officials are the "haves;" the "have nots" remain the same). Milbank rightly understood that a medieval socialism in which sharing and ruling connect all members of society can prevent both the atomization of society in capitalism, and the statism that state socialism brings. Medievalism, though Milbank doesn't quite spell it out, provides a check on state power while introducing "inter-connectedness" to society.


Final Thoughts:
Milbank's essay, like any Milbank essay, is worth the price of the book several times over. And the last part of the book was superb. However, Graham Ward's critique of democracy, while fundamentally sound, deliberately avoided answering any of the major questions, which was annoying.