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  • Is religion the metaphysical glue of society? : introduction
    Borstner, Bojan ; Gartner, Smiljana
    With the implementation of the idea of the European Union, a new history is in the process of being written and a new identity is being formed. But, as Plato said, people require a story to remind ... them of what they share in common and to stimulate their loyalty to political society. Thus, the first part of this chapter discusses the connection between the concept of identity and the emergence of discrimination and tolerance, which is explained using boundary theory. Our conclusion is that some negative attitude toward others is inevitable and reasonable, but that there are limits to what is acceptable. The second part looks at the question of cohesion in a multicultural society, and the role played by stories, myths and legends in unifying peoples. It discusses whether religion (in this case, Christianity) may act as a kind of metaphysical glue, or if, on the contrary, it actually has the opposite effect, weakening the bonds that join society together. Our analysis shows that religion is a valid option, unless it becomes militant, and that myths play an important part in building and sustaining religious community identities. Even for militant theism, mythology is understood as a constitutive force which plays an important role in the process of identity formation for the members of that community, We present the case of an epic entitled The Mountain Crown about the struggle of Christian (Slavic) peoples (Croats, Serbs, Montenegrins) against Ottoman rule, and which glorifies the massacre of the local Montenegro Muslims. This example illustrates how militant theists are prepared to sacrifice values su eh as truth, sincerity, benevolence, charity, and cooperation with the Other in pursuit of their goal of constructing and affirming their own religious-based identity. Therefore, the Christian tradition may offer a moral pretext for the construction of a new society (as indeed it already has, in some cases), functioning as a kind of metaphysical glue. Our only hope is that it does not turn militant.
    Vir: Historicizing religion : critical approaches to contemporary concerns (Str. [1]-15)
    Vrsta gradiva - članek, sestavni del ; neleposlovje za odrasle
    Leto - 2010
    Jezik - angleški
    COBISS.SI-ID - 18170632

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