Exploring the social without a separate domain for religion: on actor-network theory and religion
In post-secular societies—after secularisation—it may increasingly be the case that the connecting and structuring of religious matter is done outsidedesignated religious sites and without appointed religious experts. The centres of calculation have changed and so the connections between these are d...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Donner Institute
2012-01-01
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| Series: | Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journal.fi/scripta/article/view/67427 |
| _version_ | 1811337865015066624 |
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| author | Mika Lassander Peik Ingman |
| author_facet | Mika Lassander Peik Ingman |
| author_sort | Mika Lassander |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In post-secular societies—after secularisation—it may increasingly be the case that the connecting and structuring of religious matter is done outsidedesignated religious sites and without appointed religious experts. The centres of calculation have changed and so the connections between these are different. The former ways of translation and ordering are transforming into new ones. By exiting the designated sites religious matter has found new freedom with the new associations and inventions in the processes of translation. Less control leads to more heterogeneous agencies and facilitates the mobility of religious materials. This less controlled mobility of religious actants can also produce an apparent increase of religious matter, but this does not necessarily mean the return of religion. In any case, this increased plurality combined with increased mobility calls for perspectives which can recognise novelty, andnot just in comparison with previous states of affairs. Actor-network theory (ANT) is about tracing the webs of associations between myriad actants whose collective actions produce what we call ‘society’. Dismissing the notion of ‘the social’ as a kind of ‘stuff ’, ANT insists that sociology should focus on the interactional processes—the circulation of ‘the social’ among human and non-human actants—collectively assembling emerging states of affairs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T18:01:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fa9b58956cda4387b37e3ee4e137bddc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0582-3226 2343-4937 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T18:01:15Z |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | Donner Institute |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis |
| spelling | doaj.art-fa9b58956cda4387b37e3ee4e137bddc2022-12-22T02:36:15ZengDonner InstituteScripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis0582-32262343-49372012-01-012410.30674/scripta.67427Exploring the social without a separate domain for religion: on actor-network theory and religionMika Lassander0Peik Ingman1Åbo Akademi UniversityÅbo Akademi UniversityIn post-secular societies—after secularisation—it may increasingly be the case that the connecting and structuring of religious matter is done outsidedesignated religious sites and without appointed religious experts. The centres of calculation have changed and so the connections between these are different. The former ways of translation and ordering are transforming into new ones. By exiting the designated sites religious matter has found new freedom with the new associations and inventions in the processes of translation. Less control leads to more heterogeneous agencies and facilitates the mobility of religious materials. This less controlled mobility of religious actants can also produce an apparent increase of religious matter, but this does not necessarily mean the return of religion. In any case, this increased plurality combined with increased mobility calls for perspectives which can recognise novelty, andnot just in comparison with previous states of affairs. Actor-network theory (ANT) is about tracing the webs of associations between myriad actants whose collective actions produce what we call ‘society’. Dismissing the notion of ‘the social’ as a kind of ‘stuff ’, ANT insists that sociology should focus on the interactional processes—the circulation of ‘the social’ among human and non-human actants—collectively assembling emerging states of affairs.https://journal.fi/scripta/article/view/67427Religious changeSociology and religionPostsecularismReligion -- DefinitionTheorySocial interaction |
| spellingShingle | Mika Lassander Peik Ingman Exploring the social without a separate domain for religion: on actor-network theory and religion Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis Religious change Sociology and religion Postsecularism Religion -- Definition Theory Social interaction |
| title | Exploring the social without a separate domain for religion: on actor-network theory and religion |
| title_full | Exploring the social without a separate domain for religion: on actor-network theory and religion |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the social without a separate domain for religion: on actor-network theory and religion |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the social without a separate domain for religion: on actor-network theory and religion |
| title_short | Exploring the social without a separate domain for religion: on actor-network theory and religion |
| title_sort | exploring the social without a separate domain for religion on actor network theory and religion |
| topic | Religious change Sociology and religion Postsecularism Religion -- Definition Theory Social interaction |
| url | https://journal.fi/scripta/article/view/67427 |
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