TY - CHAP

T1 - Secularization or De-Secularization in Kazakhstan: A Case for Religious Literacy

AU - Knysh, Alexander

PY - 2019

Y1 - 2019

N2 - The twenty-first century has brought about a drastic change in the spiritual, political and intellectual orientations of large segments of global populations, especially the so-called “millennial generation”. One development that has taken by surprise many sociologists, religious studies scholars and political scientists is the remarkable upsurge of interest in religion among certain segments of the young population of the globe. After examining various conceptualizations of this religious resurgence by sociologists of religion and theorists of modernity/ secularization, the author examines the applicability of these concepts to the socio-political realities of the post-Soviet Muslim states with the Republic of Kazakhstan as the case study. Among the major challenges faced by the Kazakh state authorities is the rise and spread of unregistered, alternative movements acting in the name and on behalf of Islam. The author discusses the socioeconomic and cultural roots of this phenomenon as well as the effectiveness of the state strategies to counter them, paying special attention to the role of religious education. The author concludes that, far from being a panacea, there are, nevertheless, obvious and undeniable advantages to educating the young generation of Kazakh Muslims about not just Islam, but also world religions in general with a view to expanding their intellectual horizons and immunizing them against violent or intolerant interpretations of Islam in a country engaged in the intense quest for a new identity and cultural and intellectual orientation.

AB - The twenty-first century has brought about a drastic change in the spiritual, political and intellectual orientations of large segments of global populations, especially the so-called “millennial generation”. One development that has taken by surprise many sociologists, religious studies scholars and political scientists is the remarkable upsurge of interest in religion among certain segments of the young population of the globe. After examining various conceptualizations of this religious resurgence by sociologists of religion and theorists of modernity/ secularization, the author examines the applicability of these concepts to the socio-political realities of the post-Soviet Muslim states with the Republic of Kazakhstan as the case study. Among the major challenges faced by the Kazakh state authorities is the rise and spread of unregistered, alternative movements acting in the name and on behalf of Islam. The author discusses the socioeconomic and cultural roots of this phenomenon as well as the effectiveness of the state strategies to counter them, paying special attention to the role of religious education. The author concludes that, far from being a panacea, there are, nevertheless, obvious and undeniable advantages to educating the young generation of Kazakh Muslims about not just Islam, but also world religions in general with a view to expanding their intellectual horizons and immunizing them against violent or intolerant interpretations of Islam in a country engaged in the intense quest for a new identity and cultural and intellectual orientation.

KW - KAZAKHSTAN

KW - RELIGIOUS RESURGENCE

KW - Secularism

KW - DESECULARIZATION

KW - ISLAMIC (ISLAMIST) MOVEMENTS

KW - YOUTH

KW - RADICALIZATION

KW - Religious Education

KW - RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE

UR - https://elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=41268841

M3 - Article in an anthology

SN - 978-5-288-059193

SP - 275

EP - 308

BT - Инновации и традиции в арабистике и исламоведении

A2 - Берникова, О. А.

A2 - Кныш, А. Д.

PB - Издательство Санкт-Петербургского университета

CY - СПб.

ER -