Prof. Dr. Reinhard Schulze
"Secularity": Hardly has there ever been a concept that seemed so selfevident in both the academic discourse and the (Western European) social imaginary. Yet (and probably for formerly alleged selfevidence), since the mid1990s, ‘secularity’ has become increasingly questioned and deconstructed. In the manyvoiced debate about secularity, one contribution clearly stands out: Charles Taylor’s "A Secular Age", published in 2007. Since then, the Canadian philosopher’s work has been generating a lively discussion and an evergrowing number of reviews, anthologies, and conferences. While some enthusiastically welcome "A Secular Age" as a break through in the on going reconfiguration of secularity, others point to certain weaknesses and limitations of Taylor’swork. As important and stimulating the existing criticism and remarks are, they tend to remain on a rather general level. In this workshop, we want to ask more specifically how "A Secular Age" can be put to work: How do its finding sand in sights actually make a difference for concrete research projects? After familiarizing ourselves with Taylor’s main ideas and the most significant criticism they have generated, participants will connect "A Secular Age" to their current research projects.
Working with A Secular Age - Reflections on the Applicability of Charles Taylor's Conception of the Secular
Prof. Dr. Reinhard Schulze and Florian Zemmin
Datum: 05.10.2013, 07.12.2013
Zeit: 09:15 - 17:45 Uhr
Ort: Universität Bern, Unitobler, Lerchenweg 36, Raum F005
Reinhard Schulze is professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Berne. He studied Islam, Latin languages, Arabic, and linguistics at the University of Bonn, and went on to teach at the Universities of Bochum, Bonn, and Bamberg before joining the University of Berne in 1995. Professor Schulze is interested in both the historical development of Islam, and in its contemporary understanding and practice, as well as in theoretical aspects of Islamic studies. He has published widely on social, political, and intellectual developments within Islam, with a focus on the Middle East and Europe. His most important work is “A Modern History of the Islamic World” (NYU Press, 2000); more recent articles include: “Orientalism: from Imposition to Self-Identification”, in: Werner Daum (ed.), Interpreting the Qur’an and Aljazeera. Academic Perspectives on the Intellectual Reasons for the Alienation between East and West. Vol. 2. Image of the Other. London (in print); „Islam, religion et sécularité“, in : Jacques Ehrenfreund / Pierre Gisel (ed.). Religieux, société civile, politique. Enjeux et débats historiques et contemporains. Lausanne : Antipodes, 2012, p. 161-173; „Das Warten auf die Moderne. Die Islamische Welt im 18. Jahrhundert“, in: Bernd Hausberger (ed.), Die Welt im 18. Jahrhundert, Wien: Mandelbaum Verlag 2011, S. 243-273.
