Secular States and Religious Diversity

Addressing one of the most volatile political issues of our time, this volume looks at the relationship between religion and politics as secular nation-states try to deal with increasing religious pluralism and radicalism within their borders.

Examines the limitations and dilemmas of government responses to religious diversity and how secular states deal (and should deal) with such pluralism.

Contemporary nation-states have seen the rise of religious pluralism within their borders, brought about by global migration and the challenge of radical religious movements. Secular States and Religious Diversity explores the meaning of secularism and religious freedom in these new contexts. The contributors chart the impact of globalization, the varying forms of secularism in Western states, and the different kinds of relations between states and religious institutions in the historical traditions and contemporary politics of Islamic, Indic, and Chinese societies. They also examine the limitations and dilemmas of governmental responses to religious diversity, and grapple with the question of how secular states deal (and should deal) with such pluralism. This volume brings in perspectives from the non-Western world and engages with viewpoints that might increase states’ capacities to accommodate religious diversity positively.