The Nihilism of Postmodern Secularism

Abstract

In this work, I will offer a vision of the situation of Christianity in our postmodern societies, trying to find out if even today we can continue to use the category of secularization, typical of enlightened thought and its rational repellency to the transcendent. It is argued here that, however, secularization must be understood, in our postmodern context, as an expression of nihilism that, rather than entering into conflict with the religious, comes to empty its content of truth. Secularized Christianity, in short, is a reduced Christianity. There is a difference between the secularization of Christianity and the secularization in Christianity, which, understood from the matrix of nihilism, is expressed in the maintenance of forms, structures and styles, at the cost of assuming the null public relevance of religion as far as truth claims are concerned. Can we, however, discover some opportunities for Christianity in this nihilistic atmosphere?