Hyper-Modernity
From New Directions in Catholic Social and Political Research
New Directions in Catholic Social and Political Research.
ABSTRACT: The essay addresses the question of modernity and the crisis of contemporary society. More specifically, the object here is to dispel the notion of a “postmodern” epoch. I, therefore, suggest in its stead the idea that we are living in a transitional era. This intermediary phase exasperates all the problematic traits of the great modern transformation. To name a few, these traits are: the hallucinated pursuit of status through unbridled economic exploitation, the fanatical worship of gizmo-technology, the cult of violence in all its forms, and the flattening homogenization of the planet according to an occidental metropolitan mold.
The discussion is then steered into the theme of belligerence. In this connection, it delves into the recent wars in the Middle East, pointing to the bogusness of this Islamic “enemy.” And it emphasizes how the Western position vis-à-vis (the people of)Eurasia remains one of obdurate and noxious ostracism.
The argument also questions the putative merits of “female empowerment,” immigration, and microfinance. Finally, I assess what the stakes are for the Catholic Church in this game. And whether she is equal to the challenges.