The post Marxist world we live in today is knowing the revival of the great religious confrontations. During centuries this rivalry between religions has shaped societies as well as international relations. It is the reason why it is necessary to consider these questions. Western Europe is an exception in the world to the extend religion is quite marginal and only a minority is practicing. On the contrary, engaging for more religious dialog is necessary in the world where spirituality is knowing a great revival.
The XXIst century is a return to “classical” confrontations. For instance the rivalry between the United States and China shows that the ‘Thucydide trap’ (when the dominant power is threatened by the rising power) is still accurate. The conflicts between religions are also knowing a revival : it really began to a great extend with the September 11th attacks, but the religious rivalries are today widespread, for instance in Western Africa or in Russia where religion are linked to geopolitics. To the same extend rising powers like India are putting religion more and more in the center of their system. Religions, as they have always been, are at the same time a great wealth but also a potential threat for peace. It is the reason why it is necessary to fight the second aspect while preserving the first one.
The emergence of social networks and the widespread use of the internet are often making negative temptations for more simplistic ideas and theories. Most of the time the Internet doesn’t replace good books and its negative effects impact the religious debates. It is the reason why, today more than ever, it is necessary to evocate great figures and intellectual of past times, in this case great theologians, from Thomas of Aquinas to Luther, from Hillel to Maïmonide, from Averroes to Iqbal. These great theologians spent a lot of their lifetimes in libraries, were studying a great deal and were able to confront other high level intellectual in brilliant debates. Misfortunately the too widespread use of social networks is lowering the average level of religious debates, and we lack today great confrontations as between Ratzinger and Küng in the Catholic Church in the end of the XXth century. A task of the new generation is to make revive these great rivalries, debates and moments of studying.
Promoting an openminded approach of religion, recentered into studying, linguistic and grammar to understand better the sacred texts look necessary in this period of religious revival. The search for sense is a good thing and it must be fostered but the way it is made is often not relevant enough. The post Marxist era we live in can be a great one, to the extend great religions can benefit from the legacy of two centuries of intellectual ideas dominated by leftist and marxist ideas. Marxism, as all the extremes, has to be fought but has the merit to raise important questions religions tend to put too much aside, for instance the impact of the social classes in spirituality. But the relevant desire to reconnect with more sense, spirituality and a less materialistic approach of life should inspire more from ancient great figures, intellectual and debates. Linking theology to philosophy can give a response among many others to this issue. It can be enriching to make these two fields cooperate to promote more dialog between religions. Today the Asian countries have the mentality Luther or Colbert would have approved and applauded : referring to great ancient times while participating to the fight for innovation and technological progress. This mentality should be extended to religions, which can be great motors of human progress in every area. This engagement should also base more on the notion of studying, which is major in this situation. Let’s hope great intellectual debates and rivalries will emerge from this revival of religions that can have an important influence in the next years of the XXIst century.
The observer 