Prophecy in a Secular Age

Book excerpt: The place of religion within a secular society has been much discussed in recent years, fueled in part by Charles Taylor's Secular Age (2007). The conversation surrounding Taylor's work suggests a widespread interest in religion in secular or post-secular contexts. Even as scholars have become increasingly interested in emerging and novel forms of religion, prophecy has continued to be depicted in traditional forms employed to further partisan agendas. In place of secularity as religious declension and culture clash, this volume explores prophetic works in a variety of forms, including satire, tragedy, the novel, Native American tradition, science fiction, the Bible, and higher education itself. Together the contributors demonstrate that there is much to learn from both religious and secular prophecy. The book is inspired by the idea that prophetic works are a promising subject area for a diverse audience in both higher education and the church. The volume's contributors demonstrate as much in that they work in a wide range of disciplines, including religious studies, biblical studies, theology, American studies, literature, philosophy, and political theory.