Strong Gods
= concept used by N.S. Lyons to explain the current political and cultural transformation favoring national-populist forces
Discussion
Micha Narberhaus:
"As NS Lyons argues, Trump's election marks the return of the "strong gods", strong gods being “strong beliefs and strong truth claims, strong moral codes, strong relational bonds, strong communal identities and connections to place and past – ultimately, all those objects of men’s love and devotion, the sources of the passions and loyalties that unite societies.”
Lyons argues:
- "The traumas of the twentieth century made ideas like nationalism, or even any clear distinction between 'us' and 'them', into taboos that were impossible to discuss seriously. That finding the proper balance between 'closed' and 'open' values is necessary to maintain a healthy society was a fact carefully ignored for decades. Now the strong gods are nonetheless being haphazardly called back into the world as the vitalistic neo-romanticism of our revolutionary moment of reformation tears down the decaying walls and guard towers of the open society. Their return brings real risks, of course – although the return of risk is kind of the point. The thing about strong gods is that they’re strong, meaning they can be fearsome and dangerous; which is precisely why they also have the strength to protect and defend. It remains an open question whether this necessary renewal of strength and vitality can be reintegrated harmoniously into our societies, or whether our world will again be plunged into a time of significantly greater strife, danger, and war."
(https://substack.com/home/post/p-159974806?source=queue)
More information
- Videotaped discussion with the students at the University of Austin: [1]