ABSTRACT
“Why has critique run out of steam?” asked French philosopher and sociologist Bruno Latour (2004:225). Latour's question is vital for critical sociologists, who increasingly find their intellectual resources running out of steam, especially in this time of “post-truth.” This chapter introduces the “post-critical” philosophical perspective and addresses its implications for Christian sociologists. It is organized into three sections. The first clarifies what is meant by post-critical. Post-critical philosophy is not a rejection of critical theory but, rather, a challenge to the emancipatory logic it inherited from the Enlightenment. To illustrate this point, the second section turns to Jacques Rancière's post-critical criticisms of Pierre Bourdieu's sociology of education, especially its tautology obscured in the concept of “misrecognition.” The final section highlights some post-critical elements of Christianity that already existed prior to the birth of sociology. The post-critical perspective is neither prescriptive nor apologetic but imagines the practice of being critical differently – a minor key charting a line of flight from majoritarian thinking.
