Postchristianity: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Loss of theChristianity's primacycultural of the Christian worldview in political affairs, especially in the Western worlddominance}}

'''Postchristianity''' is the situation in which [[Christianity]] is no longer the dominant [[civil religion]] of a society but has gradually assumed [[values]], [[culture]], and [[world view|worldview]]s that are not necessarily [[Christians|Christian]]. Post-Christian tends to refer to the loss of Christianity's [[monopoly]] in historically Christian societies to [[atheism]] or [[secularism]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nationalreview.com/article/366263/our-post-christian-society-john-osullivan|title = Our Post-Christian Society|website = [[National Review]]|date = 14 December 2013}}</ref> It does not include formerly Christian-majority societies such as present-day region of [[Turkey]] and the [[Balkans]] that now follow other religions such as [[Islam]].

Despite this decline, Christianity remains the dominant [[religion in Europe]], the Americas and Oceania. According to a 2010 study by the [[Pew Research Center]], 76% <!-- rounded from 76.2% in source graphic --> of the [[Demographics of Europe|population of Europe]],<ref name="Christianity in Europe">Including the Asian part of Russia, and excluding the European part of Turkey. [https://www.pewforum.org/2011/12/19/global-christianity-regions/#europe Regional distribution of Christians: Europe]. [[Pew Research Center]].</ref> 77% of North America and 90% of Latin America and the Caribbean identified themselves as [[Christians]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pewforum.org/global-religious-landscape-christians.aspx |title=Global religious landscape: Christians |publisher=Pewforum.org |date=2011-12-19 |access-date=2012-08-17}}</ref> According to Scholars, in 2017, Europe's population was 77.8% Christian (up from 74.9% 1970),<ref name="ReligiousDemography2017">{{cite book|title=Yearbook of International Religious Demography 2017| first1=Gina|last1=Zurlo| first2=Vegard |last2=Skirbekk| first3=Brian |last3=Grim|year=2019| isbn=9789004346307| page=85|publisher=BRILL}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=African Perspectives on Culture and World Christianity| first1=Joseph|last1=Ogbonnaya|year=2017| isbn=9781443891592| pages=2–4|publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing}}</ref> these changes were largely result of the [[collapse of Communism]] and [[convert to Christianity|switching to Christianity]] in the former Soviet Union and [[Eastern Bloc]] countries.<ref name="ReligiousDemography2017"/>

Postchristianity<ref>G.C. Oosthuizen. ''Postchristianity in Africa''. C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd (December 31, 1968). {{ISBN|0-903983-05-2}}</ref> is the loss of the primacy of the Christian worldview in public affairs, especially in the [[Western world]] where [[Christianity]] had previously flourished, in favor of alternative worldviews such as [[secularism]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://humanists.uk/campaigns/secularism/|title=Secularism|publisher=[[Humanists UK]]}}</ref> [[nationalism]],<ref>Philip Jenkins, from "The Christian Revolution," in The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity, Oxford University Press, 2002.</ref> [[environmentalism]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/environmentalism-as-religion|title=Environmentalism as Religion|work=Joel Garreau|publisher=The New Atlantis}}</ref> and[[Modern organized atheism;paganism|neopaganism]],<ref>{{cite webbook |urllast=https://getpocketLassander |first=Mika T.com/explore/item/atheists-are-sometimes-more-religious-than-christians |title=AtheistsPost-Materialist AreReligion: SometimesPagan MoreIdentities Religiousand ThanValue Change in Modern Europe Christians|workdate=Sigal2014 Samuel|publisher=[[TheBloomsbury Atlantic]]Publishing |isbn=1472514777}}</ref> and organized (sometimes [[New Atheism|militant]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.salon.com/2013/03/25/militant_atheism_has_become_a_religion/|title=Has militant atheism become a religion?|work=Christopher Hitchens|date=25 March 2013|publisher=salon.com}}</ref>) asatheism;<ref>{{cite wellweb|url=https://getpocket.com/explore/item/atheists-are-sometimes-more-religious-than-christians|title=Atheists asAre otherSometimes ideologiesMore suchReligious asThan [[veganism]] orChristians|work=Sigal Samuel|publisher=[[ethicalThe veganismAtlantic]],}}</ref>Paulson, Byas Gabrielle.well "Tag:as newother religion."</ref>ideologies that are no longer necessarily rooted in the language and assumptions of Christianity amongst many other ideologies. They previously existed in an environment of ubiquitous Christianity (i.e. [[Christendom]]).{{Clarify|date=January 2024}}<ref>Gordon-Finlayson, Alasdair, and Michael Daniels. "Westerners converting to Buddhism: An exploratory grounded theory investigation." Transpersonal Psychology Review 12.1 (2008): 100-118.</ref><ref>Kevin Fauteux (1987). Seeking Enlightenment in the East: Self–Fulfillment or Regressive Longing? Journal of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis: Vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 223-246.</ref><ref>Clobert, Magali, and Vassilis Saroglou. "Intercultural non-conscious influences: Prosocial effects of Buddhist priming on Westerners of Christian tradition." International Journal of Intercultural Relations 37.4 (2013): 459-466.</ref><ref>King, W. L. (1970). Eastern Religions: A New Interest and Influence. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 387(1), 66–76. https://doi.org/10.1177/000271627038700109</ref>

[[New religious movement|New religious movements]] such as Jesuism incorporate foundational elements of [[Christian thought]] in syncretic cominationcombination with various [[Age of Enlightenment|enlightenment]] beliefs ( Ie. secular democracy, equality of historical minorities ) into a coherent post-Christian [[theology]].<ref>jesuans.org</ref>

* ''[[A New Christianity for a New World|A New Christianity for a New World: Why Traditional Faith Is Dying and How a New Faith Is Being Born]]'' by [[John Shelby Spong]]