Meditation and the Post-Secular Condition
The Oxford Handbook of Meditation May 7, 2020 DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198808640.013.29 (opens in new tab)
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractMeditation practice is increasingly linked to a post-secular turn in culture, which reinterprets the usual opposition between secularism and religion by asserting immanence over transcendence. While meditation is often embedded in either a religious or secular framework, contemporary forms are increasingly secular. A third way is suggested, favoring a meditation practice that acknowledges the post-secular turn, especially when secular forms like mindfulness have been decontextualized to the point of undermining the ethical context of meditation.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Proposes that a third way of meditation practice acknowledging the post-secular turn is needed, particularly because secularist forms like mindfulness have been decontextualized, undermining their ethical context. |
Abstract
Abstract This chapter looks at the links between meditation practice and the post-secular turn in the wider domain of culture. The latter is a multifaceted phenomenon, and the chapter focuses on one of these—namely the assertion of immanence over transcendence. This calls for a reinterpretation of the habitual opposition between secularism and religion. Meditation is often embedded in either a religious or secular framework, with contemporary forms increasingly of the latter kind. A third way is suggested, in favor of a meditation practice that acknowledges the post-secular turn. This is particularly called for at a time when secularist forms of meditation such as mindfulness have been decontextualized to the extent of undermining the ethical context of meditation.