On the epistemology of postmodern spirituality

At first glance, the postmodern spiritual ‘scene’ appears ‘sociologically messy, experiential, multifaceted, ecological, provisional and collective’ (Petrolle 2007) and of uncertain epistemic provenance. Here, I ask: can Roland Benedikter’s (2005) conception of postmodern dialectic and spiritual tur...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Schreiber, Dudley A. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Univ. 2012
In: Verbum et ecclesia
Year: 2012, Volume: 33, Issue: 1, Pages: 1-8
Further subjects:B Meontology
B Inspiration
B Deontology
B Meta-consciousness
B Integralism
B Neo-essentialism
B Reconstructivism
B Realism
B Anti-realism
B Post Structuralism
B Developmental Theory
B Proto-ontology
B Imagination
B Evolution
B Deconstructionism
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Summary:At first glance, the postmodern spiritual ‘scene’ appears ‘sociologically messy, experiential, multifaceted, ecological, provisional and collective’ (Petrolle 2007) and of uncertain epistemic provenance. Here, I ask: can Roland Benedikter’s (2005) conception of postmodern dialectic and spiritual turn, help us understand postmodern spirituality and can it assist in a construction of a postmodern epistemology of spirituality? The current argument constitutes a meta-theoretical exploration of:• Deconstruction and neo-essentialism as representing the significant dialectic in philosophical postmodernism. Deconstruction is presented as an apophatic moment in Western thought about ‘knowing’ and ‘being’ whilst postmodern neo-essentialism, though contextualised by antirealism and ambiguity, palpably suggests itself. • Postmodern trends which derive from the dialectic. • How these epistemic trends influence methodology in the study of spirituality. • How a trans-traditional (anthropological) spirituality might incorporate insights about transformation from a complex of epistemologies in which, theories of ‘self’ abound.In the conclusion an attempt is made to describe how postmodern spirituality expresses itself in society.
ISSN:2074-7705
Contains:Enthalten in: Verbum et ecclesia
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.4102/ve.v33i1.398