On the benefits of discussions and metanarratives: Ten theses

Abstract

This article is a response to Vladimir Bobrovnikov's critical review of the issue of the journal State, Religion and Church in Russia and Worldwide devoted to the Islamic reformation. Discussion with the reviewer concentrates on two different issues. First is the organization of interdisciplinary dialogue, its goals, rules and conditions of success. The author of the article thinks that such dialogue should not lead to total agreement on some common concept but should consist of a regular exchange of ideas and a search for common ground while adhering to the ethics of communication and respect for opponents. Second is the possibility of research into the contemporary Islamic world using metanarratives in general and the modernization paradigm in particular. The article explains the difference between modernization theories in wide and narrow senses, clarifies the methodological value of early modernization theories and justifies the especially important role of the post-Soviet period in the disruption of traditional culture in the North Caucasus.