Exclusivist Boundaries and Extremist Transgressions: Persistence and Problems of Religion

Abstract

Some fifty years ago scholars claimed the end of religion was nigh. More recently some at the fringe of the Christian religion have touted the imminent end of the world. But the world is still here; and religion of all sorts persists, although not without some considerable problems.

Why is religion so persistent? And what are we to make of contemporary problematic issues, such as extremism and terrorism, often associated with religion? What might the Taliban in Afghanistan, Anders Breivik in Norway, and the Christchurch Cathedral in New Zealand, have in common, for instance?

In this article I will outline a model for understanding the nature of the persistence of religion, paying particular attention to three interwoven dimensions: narrative, ethical, and metaphysical. I will also discuss, in the light of this model, the contemporary problem of exclusivism and extremism which arguably arise from the lack of an adequate conceptual mechanism for coping with religious diversity.