Can you wear a cross, or any other religious symbol if you work in a public library? Well, it depends on what country you live in. Secularism comes in different shapes. The term ‘secularism’, similarly to the term ‘religion’, is broad and has many definitions. These definitions relate and have similar roots but describe different processes. For example, an expert on this question Dr. Phil Zuckerman suggests dividing secularism into three main types: 1) political 2) philosophical and 3) socio-cultural. He describes it as three branches of the same tree. In short, political secularism is about the separation of Church and State. Philosophical secularism refers to a worldview free of superstition that also seeks to debunk religious claims and reduce the influence of religion. Socio-cultural secularism is about the process of secularization when we see how religion is losing its authority in people’s day-to-day life.
#secularism #what_is_secularism #religiolog
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Bibliography:
Jacques Berlinerblau. 2013. How to be Secular A Call to Arms for Religious Freedom.
Rajeev Bhargava “The Distinctiveness of Indian Secularism.” In The Future of Secularism, edited by T.N. Srinivasan. Delhi: Oxford University Press.
Calhoun, Craig, Mark Juergensmeyer, and Jonathan VanAntwerpen, eds. 2011. Rethinking Secularism, Oxford University Press.
Copson, Andrew. 2019. Secularism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford UP.
Ahmet Kuru. 2009. Secularism and State Policies Toward Religion: The United States, France and Turkey. Cambridge University Press.
“Secularism in France,” by Amelie Barras, in Oxford Handbook of Secularism, edited by Zuckerman and Shook
Disenchanting India: Organized Rationalism and Criticism of Religion in India. Johannes Quack
Zuckerman, Phil 2008. Society Without God. New York, NY: New York University Press.
Link for my video about French secularism - [ Ссылка ]
