54. Traditional Faith and Metamodernism (w/ Jared Morningstar)
May 9, 2024
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Jared Morningstar discusses the relationship between metamodernism and traditional faith, advocating for experimentation and epistemic humility. They explore the role of 'causal opacity' in religious functionality and the engagement of traditional faiths with hyper-complex phenomena. The conversation touches on religious pluralism, tradition-specific language, and integrating general and particular perspectives in metamodern spirituality.
Embracing traditional faith with a metamodern mindset involves participatory experimentation and epistemic humility.
Navigating the complexities of integrating traditional beliefs and modern frameworks requires embracing pluralism and diverse perspectives.
Balancing universal values with specific traditions is essential for engaging in meaningful dialogues and fostering spiritual growth.
Deep dives
The Relationship Between Tradition and Metamodernism
Exploring the inter-religious dialogue and relationship between traditional faiths, especially Islam, in a metamodern context is a key focus. The discussion delves into the importance of engaging with tradition and exploring the ways traditional faith can coexist within a metamodern framework. There is a recognition of the vitality and richness present in traditional religions, while also acknowledging concerns about reverting to reactionary pre-modern movements. The conversation highlights the need for a balance between embracing tradition and incorporating modern philosophical and scientific advancements.
Navigating Perspectives on Traditionalism and Metamodern Spirituality
The podcast episode delves into the complexities of navigating the relationship between orthodox traditional faith and metamodern spirituality. Discussions revolve around understanding the proper connection between traditional faiths and a metamodern sensibility. There is an emphasis on adopting an experimentalist and experiential approach, exploring how traditional practices can coexist with critical frameworks. The conversation highlights the importance of engaging in diverse perspectives to integrate tradition and modernity effectively.
Interpreting Religious Practices Through Multiple Perspectives
The episode delves into personal experiences like a prayer service and how they can be understood through different analytical lenses. The discussion involves considering hyper objects and causal opacity in interpreting religious phenomena like healing practices. It touches on the complex interplay between traditional beliefs, modern analytical frameworks, and potential future understandings. The exploration suggests a need for embracing pluralism and an integrative approach to understanding religious traditions in a nuanced manner.
Embracing Pluralism and Tradition in a Metamodern Context
Acknowledging the importance of embracing pluralism while maintaining a connection to tradition is crucial. The discussion emphasizes the need for a more humble approach to pluralism that allows for flexibility in integrating traditional frameworks with modern perspectives. By advocating for cross-tradition critical analysis and syncretism, a deeper understanding of world religions and their intercultural origins can be achieved. This inclusive yet critically reflective stance aims to enrich traditions by engaging with diverse perspectives.
Balancing Meta-Orientation with Particularity in Tradition
The conversation delves into the dynamic interplay between meta-orientation and particularity within tradition. While advocating for a universal 'head towards the light' directive, the importance of deepening into and respecting particular traditions is highlighted. Balancing abstraction with concrete reference points, such as allegiance to a specific tradition, provides a stable foundation for the exploration of meta-values and critical engagement. Engaging with traditions in a coherent and integrative manner fosters dialogue, growth, and the development of a nuanced understanding of spirituality and pluralism.
Process thinker Jared Morningstar joins me to discuss the relationship of metamodernism to traditional forms of religion. How can engaging the traditional frame be done without losing hard-won gains in complexity and perspective-taking? Here Jared advocates for an open, flexible, and epistemically humble form of experimentation and participation in different religious modalities. We consider the role of 'causal opacity' in religious functionality and whether reflection is inherently harmful to generating emergent potential in religious contexts. We also explore the ways traditional faiths may be genuinely engaging with hyper-complex phenomena and how tradition-specific language can be helpful in extending faith into metamodernity. Finally, we discuss the role of plurality and singularity, the general and the particular, in what it means to engage religion from a metamodern perspective.
0:00 Introduction
1:34 Reaction vs. Reconstruction: Which Direction Is Calling?
10:50 Unseen Causes: Participatory Experimentation and Epistemic Humility
17:43 Breaking the Frame: Causation, Disenchantment, and Etic vs. Emic Perspectives
24:25 Moving In and Out of Tradition: Looking Back or Going Back?
35:24 Superstition or Super-Complexity? Parsing Tradition's Relationship with Hyperobjects
50:03 Beyond Perennialism: Religious Pluralism and Traditional Particularity
1:03:09 Living the Openness
1:10:59 Orienting Value in the Uncertainty
1:18:46 Integrating the General and the Particular: Heading Out and Coming Home
1:23:33 Conclusion
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