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