Towards a Postsecular Shia Rhetoric – the Discursive Strategies of Transnational Online Network of Shia Muslims in India
Much of the scholarly discussions on the nexus between secular worldview and discourse on Islam have depicted a rather homogeneous image of ‘postsecular Islam’ by overlooking the heterogeneity and changing nature of communications on Islam. In most cases, the postsecular rhetoric of minority sects i...
| Published in: | Journal of religion, media and digital culture |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Brill
2023
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| In: |
Journal of religion, media and digital culture
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| Further subjects: | B
Discourse Analysis
B Shi’ism B Islam B Social media B Digital B Facebook B India B Postsecular |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | Much of the scholarly discussions on the nexus between secular worldview and discourse on Islam have depicted a rather homogeneous image of ‘postsecular Islam’ by overlooking the heterogeneity and changing nature of communications on Islam. In most cases, the postsecular rhetoric of minority sects in Islam, such as Shia Islam, is rarely mentioned. This study aims to offer a more empirical and context-oriented understanding of the emerging postsecular turn in the contemporary narratives of Shia Islam due to its encounter with secular ideologies, digital media, and popular culture. To do so, it examines dominant discursive features of a transnational Shia religious network – ‘Who is Hussain’. The analysis focuses on exploring new interpretations and representations of Shi’i messages online. Four main types of narrative features were found: a postsecular contextualization of Shi’i religious events, a secular call for action infused with Shi’i moral motivations, promoting postsecular humanitarian responses, and translating Shi’i religiosity into citizenry engagement. The language deployed by the Facebook page of this network to translate religious ideas denotes a high degree of malleability. This open hermeneutic margin, this study finds, allows the knowledge producers to develop a postsecular narrative of Shi’ism that has the potential to travel beyond the confines of religious boundaries by animating new debates internationally. |
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| ISSN: | 2165-9214 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of religion, media and digital culture
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/21659214-bja10098 |