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Wagon Trains And Rhizomes: Metaphors Of Globalization And Their Implications For Religion, Dave Mills

David M. Mills

Francis Fukuyama's “wagon train” metaphor expresses a view of globalization widely held in the West. It assumes that every country or economy is heading for the same destination, but some are more developed than others. This metaphor does not adequately equip us to face the challenges generated by our globally interconnected economies, political systems, and religions. The metaphor of the expansive and heterogeneous rhizome, as explained by philosopher Gilles Deleuze, offers a more accurate interpretation of global realities. Religions, as hybrid and indigenizing transnational entities, are uniquely positioned to form principled connections in a rhizomatic paradigm.