Postmodern G*d-talk, liberation, and the educational context.

Whether one calls it G*d-talk, religious discourse, or spiritual musings, conversations speaking to the divine, spirit, mystery, religion, and G*d are increasingly prevalent in educational studies. Whether it is the recurring discussions of church/state distinctions, exploration of the relationship between moral development and religion, or an appeal to appreciate spiritual ways of knowing, religious discourse is becoming more and more common among educators. Rather than argue the validity of religious discourse, which is in fact a contentious conversation that has little outcome on whether or not people actually choose to engage in G*d-talk, I would like to explore how critical social theorists can both examine and engage in religious discourse in ways that promote just and compassionate community. Such reflection begins with the recognition of both the danger inherent in and the possibilities emerging from discussions that examine the relationships between religion, culture, and education. History clearly illustrates the Postmodern G*d-Talk, Liberation, and the Educational Context ways in which religion has served as both an oppressing and liberating force. This article introduces a critical hermeneutical framework for educators who seek to integrate religion and spirituality into the educational process. Engaging in this process ensures that the use of G*d-talk is liberating and not, as history has so often shown, oppressive.

Re-examining Religion and Culture

Many conversations about religion during the modern era begin with the claim that humanity has outgrown the usefulness of religion. In many ways, this perspective has dominated academic institutions and has resulted in some disdain for those intellectuals who continue to try to explore the elusive role of religion in the life of the mind. Marx's assertion the religion "was the opiate of the people" and Nietzsche's declaration that "God is dead" have framed many contemporary conversations that attempt to explore questions of ethics, behavior, and culture with little or no reference to the role of faith. A recent New York Times bestseller, The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason by Sam Harris (2005), continues the conversation that religion is in fact the cause of all ills, and therefore, should be eradicated from human society. For many intellectuals, religious discourse is viewed as somewhat soft-brained and the quest for knowledge has to be based on reason rather than the more enigmatic premises of faith.

Although this perspective remains prevalent in many contexts, there is an alternative perspective that recognizes that religion is such a pervasive force in the human condition, that a conversation of culture cannot ignore the role of religion, and vice versa, an examination of religion cannot ignore the role of culture. Clifford Geertz in The Interpretation of Culture affirms this perspective when he says

 
   Religion is sociologically interesting not because, as a vulgar 
   positivism would have it, it describes the social order (which, in 
   so far as it does, it does not only very obliquely but very 
   incompletely), but because, like environment, political power, 
   wealth, jural obligation, personal affection and a sense of beauty, 
   it shapes it. (1973, p. 119) 

In many ways, since Geertz wrote this in the early 1970s, the increasing prevalence of religious discourse in the social, political, and educational arena has clearly illustrated that faith plays a significant role in the social order and the institutions that govern our lives.

Exploring the importance of religious discourse within cultural studies has been further aided by two factors. First, there appears to be less of a need to deny the role of religion in political, social, and economic events. No one can deny that many of the armed struggles of the Twentieth Century have been specifically connected to religious hostilities. At the same time, religion has also served as the force that has inspired many who work for social justice and human rights. Harvey Cox (1995) in Fire from Heaven: The Rise of Pentecostal Spirituality and the Reshaping of Religion in the Twenty-First Century reflects on the continued importance of the role of religion in culture. He speaks of the work he did in The Secular City 30 years ago and writes that in that book "I tried to work out a theology for the 'post religious' age that many sociologists had confidently assured us was coming" (Cox, 1995, p. xv). In his more recent book, Cox observes that instead of the death of religion and G*d, the end of the Twentieth Century has illustrated "a religious renaissance of sorts" (Cox, 1995, p. xvi). In this book he focuses on Pentecostalism but recognizes that the religious vitality inherent in Pentecostalism can also be observed in sects of Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, and Islam, as well as other faith traditions. Instead of continuing its decline as a social and cultural force, religion is once again serving as an actor in the drama of culture, education, and society. Clearly, many commentators on culture have recognized the importance of religion in culture and its role in cultural studies.