Is social justice replacing religion in the West?

This episode was recorded on December 6th, 2025. In recent decades, traditional religious frameworks have steadily lost influence in Western societies. At the same time, we’ve seen the emergence of social justice movements focused on uncovering and dismantling systemic forms of oppression. Some argue that these secular movements are a replacement for faith. Others say they don’t offer the same moral depth, cohesion and forgiveness provided by traditional religion. In this episode, our guests debate whether today's social justice movements effectively replace religion in the West—and whether they share similar ethical principles with the traditions they often want to move beyond. 💬 Join the conversation in the comments. Featuring: - Joshua Mitchell: Professor of political theory, Georgetown University - Khaled A. Beydoun: Professor of law, Arizona State University - Michael Eric Dyson: Professor of African American and diaspora studies, Vanderbilt University Moderated by international presenter and host Mohamed Hassan ⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰ 0:00 Intro 5:39 Michael Dyson on Whiteness, Innocence, and Spiritual Impulse 10:20 Khaled Beydoun on Social Justice, Dogma, and Neo-Religion 13:54 The Alt-Right, Nietzsche, and Social Media's Dual Impact 27:03 The Transgender Debate and Liberalism's Shifting Boundaries 38:50 Critical Race Theory and the Debate Over 'Whiteness' as a Category 51:47 Irredeemable Guilt, Human Agency, and Global Discontent 59:10 Islamophobia and Identity Politics as Christian Imperialism 1:09:50 Original Sin, Redemption, and the Backlash to Identity Politics 1:14:10 White Christian Nationalism and the Weight of Historical Wounds 1:26:10 Neoliberalism, Whiteness, and the Selective Application of Collective Guilt 1:42:33 Identity Politics: Impotence, Internal Dissent, and Forgiveness 1:48:32 Three Paths Forward for Religion and Social Justice 1:58:30 Decentering Christianity and Finding Indigenous Voices Globally ►► Subscribe & join the conversation: http://bit.ly/38fuJjZ Don’t Settle for a Divided World. Think. Debate. Act. Let’s find solutions to the world's most pressing problems. Doha Debates engages a vanguard of intellectually curious truth-seekers to constructively debate differences in order to build a better future. We emphasize unity over division, encouraging conversations that bring us together rather than drive us apart. Learn more: dohadebates.com