The World of Religions No. 53 – May/June 2012 —
Today, the time is more for the quest for identity, for the rediscovery of one's own cultural roots, for community solidarity. And, alas, increasingly also: for withdrawal into oneself, for fear of the other, for moral rigidity and narrow dogmatism. No region of the world, no religion, escapes this vast global movement of return to identity and norms. From London to Cairo, via Delhi, Houston or Jerusalem, the time is indeed for veiling or wig-wearing women, for rigorous sermons, for the triumph of the guardians of dogma. Contrary to what I experienced at the end of the 1970s, young people who are still interested in religion are for the most part less out of a desire for wisdom or a quest for self-discovery than out of a need for strong reference points and a desire to be anchored in the tradition of their fathers.
Fortunately, this movement is not inevitable. It was born as an antidote to the excesses of uncontrolled globalization and the brutal individualization of our societies. It was also a reaction to dehumanizing economic liberalism and the rapid liberalization of morals. We are therefore witnessing a classic swing of the pendulum. After freedom, the law. After the individual, the group. After the utopian dreams of change, the security of past models.
I readily acknowledge that there is something healthy in this return to identity. After an excess of libertarian and consumerist individualism, it is good to rediscover the importance of social ties, of the law, of virtue. What I deplore is the overly rigorous and intolerant nature of most current returns to religion. One can re-enter a community without falling into communitarianism; adhere to the age-old message of a great tradition without becoming sectarian; want to lead a virtuous life without being moralistic.
In the face of these rigidities, there fortunately exists an internal antidote to religions: spirituality. The more believers dig into their own tradition, the more they will discover treasures of wisdom capable of touching their hearts and opening their minds, reminding them that all human beings are brothers and sisters and that violence and judgment of others are more serious offenses than transgression of religious rules. The development of religious intolerance and communitarianism worries me, but not religions as such, which can certainly produce the worst, but also bring the best.