The real test of awakening is participation, participation in public discourse, participation in political life, participation in economic life.

Awakening in different aspects have been a concern for the political, religious and social leaders as well as the elites.

An understanding of awakening, the reasons behind contemporary movements and the role of the religious leaders has been the topic for a two-day meeting of thinkers from around the world.

In the same line Taqrib News Agency (TNA) has had an exclusive interview with Dr. Kurt Anders Richardson, professor in the Faculty of Theology at McMaster University in Canada attending the conference on “Religions and Contemporary Awakening” held in the Iranian capital Tehran in early May 2012.

Dr. Richardson referred to a human tendency to settle into statues que posing a question on frequency of that adding, “I think with contemporary media and connectivity the possibility of awakening is almost constant because you have (as some people call it) fragmentation of the world.”

From the view of Dr. Richardson it is not a fragmentation of the world rather micro cultures of the world.

“For instance, “He said, “Tehran has many micro cultures. There are moments during elections when the micro cultures coalesce and they create an upwelling of popular interest.”

He defined awakening as “the free exchange of ideas” when “the people participate.”

Dr. Richardson also said,” I think the real test of awakening is participation, participation in public discourse, participation in political life, participation in economic life.”

On the direct relation between awakening and participation he said, “When there are more participants, this is a sign of awakening and when there is sleep it means that participation has been reduced.”

Then what is the reason for reduction of participation? Based on the university professor from Canada, sometimes it reduces just because of laziness, sometimes too often. The reduction is the result of politics and of the use of power to suppress the popular expression, the search for participation.

He also commented on the role of religious leaders saying, “The religious leaders always have a problem with tradition and modernity. There are many ways in which medieval tradition is still very much in control of our religious imagination but traditions once came from an actual situation say 700 years ago.” 

According to Dr. Kurt Anders Richardson,” There is no way that 700-year-old conditions can inform contemporary conditions, just in terms of describing conditions, what to do in those conditions and what participation means; therefore, religious leaders have to become participants also.”