Relations between Secular and Religious Mind-set as a Theological Problem: Social Risks, Challenges of Digitization and Establishment of a Civil Dialogue

Abstract

The problem of relations between secular and religious beliefs is topical in modern Russian society; its importance is largely determined by the growing internal risks and threats, including extremist and protest movements, the spread of crisis patterns of spirituality, and citizens’ involvement in destructive quasi-religious practices. Preservation of Russia’s spiritual and moral culture is one of the priorities of the national security, a guarantee of national sustainability and stability in the face of the expansion of socio-cultural practices and ideological narratives alien to Russian traditions and values. This study focuses on the search for constructive frameworks for cooperation between the state, religious institutions and society. Research team’s work resulted in the following achievements: identified historical and philosophical perspectives on secularism; justified choice of discourse analysis as a methodological basis for the study of secularism and religiousness; defined the idea of secularism as a complex interrelations of secular and religious worldviews; outlined the boundaries of understanding secularism in the context of theological discourse; identified and described risk areas of public discussions on the role of religion in a modern scientific space; identified negative scenarios of development of relations between the state, church and society; analysed the impact of the digital environment on the attitude of young people to the problems of faith, religion, morality; analysed the vectors of transformation of the boundaries of religiousness and secularity in the digital environment; developed a classification of media sources publishing religious content, described their main strategies, identified potential risks and threats; developed recommendations for public authorities to assess and monitor the Internet environment for destructive religious trends. The results were reflected in the developed consensus model of inter-confessional relations, aimed at maintaining the spirit of partnership and trust between representatives of secular and religious worldviews in the conditions of modern post-secular society, the promotion of willingness of state, religious and social institutions to cooperate on socially important issues.