Counter-Globalization and Socialism in the 21st Century

10 Post-secularity and political hope in 21st century socialism

Lucia Michelutti

 

Introduction

In recent years, in different parts of the globe there has been a rise in support for what I call ‘post-secular’ political projects. Societies and ideologies which were built on explicit secular premises are reconfiguring themselves. Is ‘post-secularism’ becoming a powerful and programmatic idea, as has the idea of ‘secularization’ (Casanova, 1994, 2006; Cannell, 2006), and if so, what are its effects? How does this idea shape (now and in the future) political hope and aspirations? This exploratory chapter looks at these questions in the context of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – People's Trade Agreement (Alianza Bolivariana ...