Reappraising Weber’s Disenchantment Narrative : (Second) Thoughts about the Re-Sacralization of Nature and Matter

Summary, in English

This article reflects on Max Weber’s idea of disenchantment in relation to the material turn within contemporary religious studies. In the first part, I return to the two most famous texts in which Weber uses the concept, with particular attention to the historical context in which these texts were penned. In the following part, I discuss some of the contemporary efforts to engage critically with the disenchantment narrative, including the endeavor to recover the material dimensions purportedly marginalized by major strands of Western religiosity as well as the scholarly reflection on religion. Finally, I return to Weber and investigate the lasting value of his work while also raising some critical questions about the ways in which “nature” and “matter” are reinvited in some contemporary efforts to dismantle the disenchantment narrative.

• Author: Jayne Svenungsson
• Department/s: MECW: The Middle East in the Contemporary World; Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies (CMES); Christianity and Nationalism; Studies in Faith and World Views
• Publishing year: 2022
• Language: English
• Pages: 25-42
• Publication/Series: Eco-Ethica
• Volume: 10
• Links: http://dx.doi.org/10.5840/ecoethica202341850
• Document type: Journal article
• Topic: Religious Studies
• Keywords: Max Weber; Disenchantment; material turn; nature; embodiment; secularization
• Status: Published
• Project: Beyond Sacred/Secular Cities - Exploring Politics of Memory, Space, and Religion in Middle Eastern Nationalisms
• Research group: Christianity and Nationalism
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISSN: 2186-4802