Decentered pluralism requires continuous deconstruction of sacralized identity narratives

Evidence

The problem of representing Islam (or any other “minority” religion) in European liberal democracies cannot be addressed adequately unless such questioning is taken seriously. With America especially in mind, Connolly urges a shift in the prevalent idea of pluralism “from a majority nation presiding over numerous minorities in a democratic state to a democratic state of multiple minorities contending and collaborating with a general ethos of forbearance and critical responsiveness.” The decentered pluralism he advocates in place of liberal doctrines of multiculturalism requires a continuous readiness to deconstruct historical narratives constituting identities and their boundaries (which, he argues, have a tendency to become sacralized and fundamentalized) in order to “open up space through which care is cultivated for the abundance of life.” — Talal Asad, Formations of the Secular, 863

Categorization

• DEFINE: Asad introduces Connolly’s concept of ‘decentered pluralism’ as distinct from liberal multiculturalism — a useful definitional anchor for critique of secular-state neutrality.
• XREF: Connolly’s pluralism contrasts with the liberal state’s majority-over-minorities model that Cooper’s work also interrogates from the Christian-right angle. — connects to: Ethical approaches to pluralism omit the limits and hegemonic violence consensus requires — Chantal Mouffe, The Democratic Paradox, 581; Feminist analysis of digital identity needs stable categories even while rejecting essentialism. — Theresa M. Senft, Camgirls: Celebrity and Community in…, 257; Public dialogue across identity lines counters the over-represented narrative of irreconcilable division (+1 more)