Page - 212 - in Limina - Grazer theologische Perspektiven, Volume 4:1

Call for Papers – LIMINA 5:1 (Spring 2022) A disinfected society Interdisciplinary analyses on the zeitgeist of suspicion LIMINA Grazer theologische Perspektiven | 4:1, 2021 | www.limina-graz.eu A new sense of insecurity is spreading throughout globalised societies and also takes hold in rich and developed countries. The ‘logic of wealth generation’ is systematically intertwined with the ‘logic of risk genera- tion’ insofar as progress also produces potentials of danger. Every single person increasingly finds themselves subjected to visible as well as invis- ible threats that nobody seems to be directly responsible for. This sense of exposure, vulnerability and powerlessness against a shared fate plunges our achievement-oriented society into an unfamiliar state of passivity – a radical challenge for our idea of freedom. At the same time, it gives rise to a more ‘reflexive’ examination of our hyper-modernised society as it be- comes the subject of scrutiny and problematisation, addressing the threat posed by crises – crises it itself generated – from a theoretical perspective. Fundamental questions to be asked include the dialectics of freedom and safety. The emergence of Sars-CoV2 saw the introduction of a host of new so- cial signifiers (face coverings, physical distancing, disinfectants, lock- downs, etc.) and very tangible emotional tensions between closeness and distance, opening and closure, the need for freedom and the need to protect seeping into community life. The implementation of Covid-secure meas- ures aims to stop the uncurbed spread of the virus by limiting social contact, preventing social mixing. Cleanliness and hygiene are the guiding impera- tives that ensure individual and collective health. The drawing of every- day boundaries, the closure of national borders and the re-employment of border checks reshape personal, national and international modes of con- tact and exchange. The ‘external’ threat of the virus infecting our bodies Translation: Dagmar Astleitner MA PRISM Translations, London