Religion and Secularism: Affinities and Antagonisms

Global events in recent years seem to defy simple ideas of the confinements of religion to a wholly private, non-modern or otherworldly domain, in ways that compels scholars across a range of disciplines in the social sciences, critical theory and philosophy to rethink the category of secularism, and the relationship between religion and politics. Is secularism a failed ideal? In what ways are ideas of the secular being contested and reformulated in different global contexts? This course seeks to familiarize students with recent debates on secularism, working towards a more nuance understanding of the relationship between religion and politics.