Emancipation vs. Religion (027)
When it comes to spirituality and religiosity, leftists and feminists in this country often agree: nothing is holier than atheism, and those who lose faith in it or have never had it betray the historically fought-for values of enlightenment and emancipation.
"Post-secular" theories, which come forward especially from post-colonial contexts, challenge this sweeping judgement. They emphasise the individual agency that can be tied to spiritual and religious practices, thus complicating cherished juxtapositions such as emancipation vs. religion.
In the next Queerfeminist Kitchen, we would like to discuss with you what impulses "post-secularity" can provide in the current debates about religion in the public sphere: What it contributes to the understanding of queer "radical faeries" and eco-feminist healing circles, why breathing exercises can be sexy and Catholic nuns can be inspiring feminist teachers, what medieval witches are all about and why we should "leave the church in the village" (German idiom for 'don't get carried away') in the current discussion about esotericism in queer feminism.
A short input will be given by Prof. Dr. Ulrike E. Auga, who is accompanying the Year of the Women* at SMU with a lecture series on queer feminist life & futurism.
