Revitalizing (Islamic) Theology: Beyond Fundamentalism's Blind Spots Adis Duderija In an era where religious discourse often devolves into polarized shouting matches, it's time to reclaim theology as a rigorous intellectual pursuit. Too many approaches, fundamentalism, puritanism, and crude traditionalism, treat sacred texts and doctrines as static artifacts, impervious to the complexities of human experience. These perspectives are oblivious to essential factors that demand systematic engagement: reason as a foundational tool, metaphysical reflection, aesthetics, cultural context (particularly through cultural anthropology), and the nuanced study of conceptual history and texts via hermeneutics and semiotics. Ignoring these elements doesn't just impoverish theology; it renders it irrelevant in a world craving depth and relevance. As a theologian and cultural observer with a focus on Islamic thought, I argue that embracing these factors isn't optional—it's imperat...
Horizon Before Flag: Why Universal Spirituality Must Precede Religious Identity Adis Duderija ( AI assisted) In religious terms, that means something simple but often ignored: before we induct children into a confessional spiritual tradition—whether it is rooted in Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, or any other inherited path—we must first ground them in universal spirituality. If we fail to do so, we risk raising not mature believers, but fragile identities. And fragile identities, when threatened, become dangerous. Universal spirituality is not a rival to religious tradition. It is its foundation. It includes moral imagination, empathy, humility before mystery, reverence for life, commitment to truth, and the recognition of shared human dignity. It teaches children that compassion is good before it tells them who to worship; that honesty matters before it defines orthodoxy; that wonder is universal before it becomes doctrinal. Only when young people unders...