We often call awakening an ideology. But revival is also something more.
Activist radical postmodernism, or reawakening as we colloquially call it, is also a movement of religious renewal. Hence the name.
Radical postmodernism must be seen in the context of the fact that it arose in the wake of the fall of Christianity in the West, which left a great religious void that this ideology attempts to fill.
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It must be said that the fall of Christianity is also exaggerated.
The creed did not fall in unison in society, but became utterly distasteful to the educated elite. Moreover, it is mainly in liberal denominations that apostasy takes place.
When liberal and highly educated social elites lose their Christian faith, their religious impulses persist – which have a strong need for community, identity and a narrative that can make sense of our time, as well as a cosmic struggle and an inner journey of moral growth.
It can easily be said that revival is something more and more powerful than mere identity. It can actually be a real religion.
Postmodernism in general and the awakening movement, the radical activist variant of postmodernism, have long lines dating back at least to the Christian Reformation in the 16th century, where the individual interpretation of the world is opposed to the vast and complex structures of the church. .
In any case, the Woke ideology is meaningless without first having a Christian worldview, where all people have value in themselves and where sins are to be forgiven. Otherwise, the movement is both much whiter and more Eurocentric than Christianity itself, which has both its historical origins and its modern ethnic and geographic center of gravity in the global south.
The structures of enlightened religion
Woke performs all the same functions in our now “secular” society as a religion.
Here are some examples: Woke is an ideology that many people in power willingly embrace to appear moral and justify their own power. Political leaders launder their public reputations and with this attempt to protect themselves against criticism from the left. We see it with Democrats in the United States, the government of Justin Trudeau in Canada, as well as in the United Kingdom, where Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is being promoted as a major step forward for ethnic representation, and his role in as a powerful member of the financial world. is underestimated. Sunak was also not elected by the British people, and one can probably be forgiven for wondering who he really represents.
But it’s not just politicians who dress up. Most major Western companies are washing their hands in the barrel of activism Corporate social responsibility-the tendency, where one obediently signals his support for the latest social movement. Typically, with no real action other than changing logos on social media, perhaps posting an inclusive image and making a non-binding statement. Walking to the beat is what matters.
The movement is at the same time disseminated, popularized and legitimized by the priests: academics who prepare, manage and disseminate the teachings. The rest of men, church women, and an n^2 number of other genders, i.e. university administrative departments, diversity representatives, teachers, etc. also play their part. These popularize the ideology with which rulers willingly adorn themselves, but also profit from it by adapting to political priorities. This is how they keep their jobs, among other things. As always in the meeting between the clergy and the politician, the influence is mutual.
In addition, good teaching establishes the premises for the message of the press and the understanding of the world of storytellers. In the old days we had heralds who carried breaking news for the king and the church, and we had bards, storytellers who communicated events old and new through song and verse. As a rule, there were stories that confirmed the worldview of power.
Woke assumed an important role in today’s structures: press, education, politics and business. But there is more – because there is also a concrete “theology”.
The right teaching
Woke has its original sin, just like Christianity.
Here, there is innate privilege, colonialism, Eurocentrism and white supremacy, for which we must collectively apologize. This is achieved by acknowledging one’s innate privilege and ugly history, as well as doing penance – fighting for the rights of others, voting for the right politicians, participating in mass protests, hiring the right people, ensuring that schools are filled with good books, and consuming culture with representation of the right ethnicities and genders, etc.
Woke also provides a congregational community and a common worldview that creates harmony within the group. Religious rituals are held that bring people together and lead: Pride parades, actions and demonstrations, kneeling during the national anthem or before sporting events and more. It also builds shared experiences and creates common references, in addition to making religion visible to the public eye in a way that traditional religions rarely have room for.
Speaking of visible exercise. There are even religious symbols you can wear and identify with: crosses and rosaries have been replaced by pride flags, feminist buttons and anti-racism stickers. These mark membership and identity, and allow you both to recognize yourself and to publicly signal your opinions. It should be emphasized that these movements are not necessarily of an awakened nature. Racism, sexism and homophobia can be opposed in many ways and from many angles, but this almost religious movement has proven to be very effective in appropriating these rights movements and philosophically cleansing them of all that who is not awake.
There are also sacred texts for those who particularly want to immerse themselves in the good teachings. This goes for new releases like Robin DiAngelo’s “White fragility” (2018), Angie Thomas’ “The hate u give” (2017) as well as old classics like Edward Said’s “Orientalism” (1978) and “The History of Sexuality” (1976). by Michel Foucault.
Some universities and colleges operate as “churches” and “monasteries” where you can go to teach and train in both theory and activism. Here you can separate yourself from the outside world for a while and immerse yourself in the details of faith.
Then you go from student to missionary – and try to spread understanding and knowledge about the movement to your friends, family and colleagues, as well as working strategically to give it a place in mainstream culture and politics. .
In addition, there is a political aspect, even a salvific aspect.
Political struggle and perhaps revolution should give us a better world, where everyone can be free to express their identity, norms have been deconstructed, and everyone can be accepted without prejudice to anyone.
Considerations as to whether norms may have important functions in society, or whether biases are perhaps inherent in human nature, are absent.
Self-expression is the highest good, and one’s own ideas become god in this religious system. To tear down someone’s image of reality is blasphemy according to this logic.
Read also: The big problem with woke is this dishonesty
The role of the EU
Woke has long succeeded in establishing himself in big politics and has acquired a central position in a new supranational church, comparable to the Catholic church – namely the EU.
Here, the language, concepts and reality of woke have been fully accepted. An example is the crusade of the European Commission (the “government” of the EU) against racism in 2020-25, Also their LGBT+ policy.
As always when it comes to the EU system, the content is tightly wrapped in bureaucratic jargon, but the result is just as much a continental project to impose top-down ideology through a massive bureaucratic system. .
The fact that the EU now assumes the role of guardian of a worldview and obliges member states to follow enlightened perspectives should cause us concern. For where the Roman Catholic Church, the “original” EU, historically built on long traditions, deep theological and philosophical debates and even scientific work, has awakened is both fundamentalist and anti-intellectual.
Now the question is how far radical, i.e. woke, postmodernism can bear to be identified and treated as a religion.
Read also: Woke rewriting of the past: Norwegian pride is not racism
