The Oxford Handbook of Secularism (Oxford Handbooks)

"As recent headlines reveal, conflicts and debates around the world increasingly involve secularism. National borders and traditional religions cannot keep people in tidy boxes as political struggles, doctrinal divergences, and demographic trends are sweeping across regions and entire continents. And secularity is increasing in society, with a growing number of people in many regions having no religious affiliation or lacking interest in religion. Simultaneously, there is a resurgence of religious participation in the politics of many countries. How might these diverse phenomena be better understood? Long-reigning theories about the pace of secularization and ideal church-state relations are under invigorated scrutiny by scholars studying secularism with new questions, better data, and fresh perspectives. The Oxford Handbook of Secularism offers a wide-ranging and in-depth examination of this global conversation, bringing together the views of an international collection of prominent experts in their respective fields. This is the essential volume for comprehending the core issues and methodological approaches to the demographics and sociology of secularity; the history and variety of political secularisms; the comparison of constitutional secularisms across many countries from America to Asia; the key problems now convulsing church-state relations; the intersections of liberalism, multiculturalism, and religion; the latest psychological research into secular lives and lifestyles; and the naturalistic and humanistic worldviews available to nonreligious people."--Jaquette du volume The Oxford Handbook of Secularism 2 List of Contributors 3 Introduction: The Study of Secularism 14 Part One Identifying the Secular, Secularity, Secularization, and Secularism 35 Identifying (with) the Secular: Description and Genealogy 35 Science: A Global Perspective 58 Secularization and Its Consequences 76 The Imagined War between Secularism and Religion 93 Political Secularism 110 Political Secularism and Democracy in Theory and Practice 133 Part Two Secular Governments 175 Anglo-American Secular Government 175 Secularism in France 195 Secularism in Turkey 211 Secularization in Israel 231 Secularism, State Neutrality, and Islam 250 Secular Government in Sub-Saharan Africa 266 Secularism in India 282 Soviet Atheism and Its Aftermath 302 Sacred, Secular, and Neosacred Governments in China and Taiwan 324 Part Three Contesting Political Secularism 347 Religion in the Public Sphere 347 The Liberal Betrayal of Secularism 366 Religious Freedom in a Secular Society 384 Communicative Reason and Religious Faith in Secular and Postsecular Contexts 400 Secularisms or Liberal-Democratic Constitutionalism? 420 Multiculturalizing Secularism 446 Beyond Comparing Secularisms: A Critique of ReligioSecularism 464 Part Four Politics of Church and State 485 A Secular Critique of Religious Ethics and Politics 485 Secular Education and Religion 500 Secularism, Feminism, and the Public Sphere 518 Secularism, Race, and Political Affiliation in America 540 Black Infidels: Secular Humanism, Atheism, and African American Social Thought 558 Secularism and US Religion Jurisprudence 578 Separating Church and State in America 597 Part Five Secularity and Society 615 Agency and Responsibility in a Natural World 759 The Evolution of Sociality, Helping, and Morality 777 Ethics, Secular and Religious: An Evolved-Cognitive Analysis 797 Secular Ethics, East and West 818 Secularism, Humanism, and Secular Humanism: Terms and Institutions 837 Humanism as a Positive Outcome of Secularism 857 Secularization, Biomedical Technology, and Life Extension 874 Varieties of Secular Experience 615 Secular Living: Many Paths, Many Meanings 634 Secular Prosociality and Well-Being 655 Secularism and the Science of Well-Being 680 Secular Spirituality 701 Nonreligious People in Religious Societies 720 The Challenge of Leaving Religion and Becoming Secular 738 Index 891 The,Oxford,Handbook,of,Secularism,9780199988457 As Recent Headlines Reveal, Conflicts And Debates Around The World More And More Frequently Involve Secularism. National Borders And Traditional Religions Can No Longer Keep People In Tidy Boxes Anymore As Political Struggles, Doctrinal Divergences, And Demographic Trends Sweep Across Regionsand Entire Continents. Secularity Is Increasing In Society, With A Growing Number Of People In Many Regions Having No Religious Affiliation Or Lacking Interest In Religion. Simultaneously, There Is A Resurgence Of Religious Participation In The Politics Of Many Countries. How Might These Diversephenomena Be Interrelated, And Better Understood? The Oxford Handbook Of Secularism Offers A Wide-ranging Examination Of Secularism On A Global Scale, Bringing Together An International Collection Of Views From Prominent Experts In A Variety Of Fields. This Volume Reflects The Impressive Level Of Academic Attention Now Given To Secularism Acrossthe Humanities, Social Sciences, Law And Public Policy, And International Relations. Long-reigning Theories About The Pace Of Secularization, And Ideal Church-state Relations, Are Here Scrutinized By A New Generation Of Scholars Studying Secularism With New Questions, Better Data, And Freshperspectives.this Is The Essential Volume For Comprehending The Core Issues And Methodological Approaches To The Demographics And Sociology Of Secularity; The History And Variety Of Political Secularisms; The Comparison Of Constitutional Secularisms Across Countries Spanning From America To Asia; The Keyproblems Now Convulsing Church-state Relations; The Intersections Of Liberalism, Multiculturalism, And Religion; The Latest Psychological Research Into Secular Lives And Lifestyles; And The Naturalistic And Humanistic Worldviews Available To Nonreligious People. The Oxford Handbook Of Secularismaddresses A Wide Breadth Of Interrelated Issues And Problems From Multi-disciplinary Stances, Covering Scholarly Territory Not Addressed Previously. The Oxford Companion to Secularism provides a timely overview of the new multidisciplinary field of secular studies. This field involves philosophy, the humanities, intellectual history, political theory, law, international studies, sociology, psychology, anthropology, education, religious studies, and additional disciplines, all showing an increasing interest in the multifaceted phenomenon known as secularism. Conflicts and debates around the world more and more frequently involve secularism. National borders and traditional religions cannot keep people in tidy boxes anymore, as political struggles, doctrinal divergences, and demographic trends are sweeping across regions and entire continents. Simultaneously, there is a resurgence of religious participation in the politics of many countries. How might these diverse phenomena be interrelated, and better understood? As the history of the term “secularism” shows, it has long been entangled with many related issues, such as unorthodoxy, blasphemy, apostasy, irreligion, religious criticism, agnosticism, atheism, naturalism, earth-centered -isms, humanism (and trans- and posthumanisms), rationalism, skepticism, scientism, modernism, human rights causes, liberalism, and various kinds of church–state separation all around the world. Secularism’s relevance also continues to grow due to the dramatic rise of irreligion and secularity in most regions of the world. These trends are leading more and more scholars from a variety of disciplines to investigate secular life and culture in all its varied forms.