Abstract

This article explores the theme of the transfer of religious values to society in the modern process of secularisation, highlighting three main moments. The first moment is reductionism, a concept which means the limitation of the influence of religion to the private sphere and the effect of this restriction on religious values. The second moment is that of the transfer of religious values into society, a process which often leads to the distortion of these values in the secular context. Finally, the article uses the concept of waste, suggesting that in the absence of a strong link to their religious source, values can be transformed to the point of no longer being recognised or even lost forever. The article concludes by stressing the need to preserve both religious and secular dimensions if the significance and relevance of these values are not to be lost in contemporary society. This would avoid the risk of the tragedy of criminal totalitarianism or religious fundamentalism.