Beyond the Secular West

What is the character of secularism in countries that were not pervaded by Christianity, such as China, India, and the nations of the Middle East? To what extent is the secular an imposition of colonial rule? Has modern secularism evolved organically, or is it even necessary, and has it always meant progress? How does secularism comport with local religious cultures in Africa, and how does it work with local forms of power and governance in Latin America? A vital extension of Charles Taylor's A Secular Age, in which he exhaustively chronicled the emergence of secularism in Latin Christendom, this anthology applies Taylor's findings to secularism's global migration. Abdullahi Ahmed An-Nacim, Rajeev Bhargava, Akeel Bilgrami, Souleymane Bachir Diagne, Sudipta Kaviraj, Claudio Lomnitz, Alfred Stepan, Charles Taylor, and Peter van der Veer each explore the transformation of Western secularism beyond Europe, and the collection closes with Taylor's response to each essay.

Summary

Nine major scholars of philosophy, religion, law, ethics, history, anthropology, and politics consider the fate of Western secularism in modern global societies. Extending Charles Taylor's A Secular Age, this anthology explores the transformation of Western secularism beyond Europe, and the collection closes with Taylor's response to each essay.

Report

"In counterpoint to Taylor's A Secular Age, a stellar list of contributors offer a diverse range of critical perspectives exploring the ways in which the secular and secularism are translated and transformed as they travel beyond Latin Christendom: from China to India, from the Mexican Revolution to Sufi brotherhoods in Senegal. There is no comparable collection, as challenging and rewarding for expert and educated public alike." - José Casanova, Georgetown University

Product details

• Authors: Akeel Bilgrami
• Assisted by: Akeel Bilgrami (Editor)
• Publisher: Columbia University Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 31.03.2016
• EAN: 9780231170802
• ISBN: 978-0-231-17080-2
• No. of pages: 296
• Series: Religion, Culture, and Public Life; Religion, Culture, and Public Life
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Religion/theology > General, dictionaries; Non-fiction book > Philosophy, religion > Religion: general, reference works; Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; Religion, PHILOSOPHY / Movements / Humanism, Humanist & Secular Alternatives To Religion, Humanist and secular alternatives to religion