Humanist Organizations and Secularization in Germany
Among social scientists, humanist and freethinker organizationsare often described as secularizing agents within society with a critical andconfrontational relation to religions. This article provides a re-evaluation ofthis theory with respect to a contemporary example of German freigeistigorganizat...
Main Author: | |
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Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Published: |
WVU
2017
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In: |
Religion and society in Central and Eastern Europe
Year: 2017, Volume: 10, Issue: 1, Pages: 21-34 |
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Germany
/ Humanistischer Verband Deutschlands
/ Freigeistige Aktion / Deutscher Monistenbund
/ Religion
/ Secularism
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RelBib Classification: | AB Philosophy of religion; criticism of religion; atheism AD Sociology of religion; religious policy KBB German language area |
Further subjects: | B
Secularization
B Freethought B Humanism B Religio-politics B Non-religion |
Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
Summary: | Among social scientists, humanist and freethinker organizationsare often described as secularizing agents within society with a critical andconfrontational relation to religions. This article provides a re-evaluation ofthis theory with respect to a contemporary example of German freigeistigorganizations, the German Humanist Association (Humanistischer VerbandDeutschlands[HVD]). Through being incorporated into German religio-political arrangements, the author argues, the HVD rather imitates religion,thereby unfolding secularization-opposing effects. Drawing on a groundedtheory-based analysis of found data as well as interviews and participantobservations, and with reference to the comparative frameworks regardingmultiple secularities' (Burchardt/Wohlrab-Sahr) or different modes ofnonreligion' (Quack), the article concludes by distinguishing two differenttypes of freigeistig organizations in contemporary Germany, only one ofwhich can by described as a secularizing agent. |
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ISSN: | 1553-9962 |
Contains: | Enthalten in: Religion and society in Central and Eastern Europe
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