39. Islam and Metamodernism (w/ Jared Morningstar)
Sep 15, 2023
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Jared Morningstar discusses integrating Islamic tradition with metamodernism, exploring ritual, ethics, and autonomy. The conversation delves into the appeal of Islam, normativities in different religions, and the intersection of process theology with Islamic heritage.
Islamic tradition offers valuable insights for contemporary metamodern spirituality through deep-rooted ritual practices.
Islam balances theological orthodoxy with pluralistic interpretations, fostering adaptive engagement with diverse normativities.
Islamic modernism, postmodernism, and fundamentalism showcase the evolution of Islam in response to colonialism, globalization, and modern challenges.
Deep dives
Engagement of Islamic Tradition with Metamodernism
The discussion revolves around the intersection of Islamic spirituality with metamodernism, highlighting the unique vantage point Islamic tradition offers in the current metamodern ecosystem. By exploring the deep-rooted Islamic practices emphasizing ritual, embodiment, and meaningful engagement, the episode delves into how these practices could serve as a valuable counterpart to contemporary metamodern spirituality. Through Jared Morningstar's essay 'Who Spilled Their Islam All Over My Metamodernism,' the relevance of Islamic wisdom in shaping new forms of ritual and spirituality is underscored.
Significance of Ritualistic Demands in Islamic Spirituality
The episode contemplates the role of highly ritualistic practices, exemplified by an Islamic ritual requiring thorough washing of the feet before prayer. This ritualistic demand, emphasizing precise actions laden with religious significance, prompts reflection on the intensity and intrinsic discipline embedded in Islamic spirituality. The interaction with ritual, including belief in angels, carries layered symbolic interpretations beyond mere literal adherence, reflecting a cosmologically dynamic engagement.
Navigating Between Dogma and Pluralistic Engagement
The discourse explores the balance between adherence to theological orthodoxy and a pluralistic approach within the Islamic tradition. Emphasizing a minimalist entry point for belief, Islam provides a nuanced landscape where diverse normativities coexist, fostering a dialogue among legalists, theologians, and mystics. This multifaceted engagement with dogma allows for a flexible interpretation of religious propositions, highlighting the tradition's adaptive and inclusive nature.
The Intersection of Islam and Process Theology
The intersection of Islam and process theology involves notable figures like Muhammad Iqbal, known for blending Western philosophical ideas with Islamic interpretations. His work, drawing from Whitehead and Bergson, emphasizes a cosmopolitan perspective, merging Islamic traditions with Western thought. While some aspects of Iqbal's philosophy are seen as outdated, his approach to cross-civilizational narratives and philosophical engagement remains compelling.
Islamic Modernism, Postmodernism, and Fundamentalism
Islamic modernism emerged in response to colonialism and globalization, aiming to modernize Islam but often resulting in Eurocentric views and dismissals of traditional practices like Sufism. Islamic postmodernism, less defined but critical, incorporates various critical theories to analyze Islam, highlighting marginalized perspectives like women's rights. The rise of Islamic fundamentalism, influenced by figures like Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahab, stems from colonial disruption of traditional Islamic education and petrodollar funding, leading to a puritanical, textualist form of Islam.
Metamodern Islam and Academic Discourse
Metamodern Islam presents a potential framework bridging traditionalism and modernity, incorporating deep engagement with expansive Islamic traditions while allowing for creative reinterpretation and original work. In academic circles, the discourse around Islamic studies has shifted from post-9/11 reactions to nuanced explorations of Islamic modernism, postmodernism, and fundamentalism. Scholars now delve into dynamic interpretations of Islamic thought, addressing complexities within the tradition and engaging with diverse intellectual institutions worldwide.
Jared Morningstar discusses the nexus of metamodernism and the Islamic tradition with me, using his recent essay for Emerge (linked below) as a way into the topic. We explore multi-perspectival approaches to traditionalism, and what it means to integrate its insights in a metamodern context. Jared also brings to bear his knowledge of process thought to the topic.
0:00 Introduction
1:43 Washing the Heel
12:06 Insight from the Past, or Salvaging from the Future?
15:45 Attractions to Different Religiosities Based on Biography
29:52 Pluralism and Dogma
37:10 The Dialectic of Autonomy and Constraint
34:52 Ritual and Ontology: Angels
46:42 Islam and Process Theology
57:23 From Traditional (+ Anti-Modern) to Modern to Postmodern
1:12:36 Towards a Metamodern Islam
1:18:30 Follow Jared's Work
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