Belyaev, V. A. Has Religion Learnt the Lesson Taught by the Modernity? On the Question about the Position of a Religious Human in Post-Secular World

Abstract: Thoughts and reflections provided in this article were initiated by the discussions about the role of religion in the modern (post-secular) world. Activation of religious beliefs related thereto and initiated thereby takes different forms and degrees. One of the position of such post-secular religious approach is the denial of Modernity as it is which has its meaning and purpose related to the religious truth and religious methods of life arrangement. This position can be called ‘anti-modernistic approach’. Anti-modernistic religious approach views modernity and secularization as the desire to interpret the truth of low significance as the truth of maximum significance. Therefore, modernity is viewed by the anti-modernistic philosophy as an easy target for criticizing. Accoring to the author, this position can be illustrated by A. Kyrlezhev’s article ‘Post-Secular Conceptualization of Religion’. In this regard, the author sets a goal to define the ‘minimal’ rights of modernity and secularization that can’t be denied by the religious approach. In other words, the author tries to understand the ‘lesson’ taught by modernity that today’s religious community has to learn in order to maintain a more constructive approach. At first the author analyzed Kyrlezhev’s article and appraised his aspirations. Then the author showed the two directions towards finding the essential ‘truth’ of secularization, build the model of the ‘minimal modernity’ based on that truth and summarized the results of his research by describing the ‘symbol of faith’ of a modern post-secular human. When building the model of the modernity, the author based himself on his own concept of modernity as the interculture. When the author analyzed creation of a modern constitutional democratic state as a result of modernity, he referred to Jurgen Habermas’ works.

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