Concept Of Secularization Research Articles

Old Testament and Nationalism: Hebrew Bible, Jewish People, English Nation

Abstract This article discusses the co-evolution of nationalism and Protestantism in the course of the sixteenth century in England; the influence of the Hebrew Bible’s concept of “the people of Israel” as a community of fundamentally equal members on the emerging English national consciousness (the first national consciousness to develop, in turn influencing all subsequent nationalisms); and the reinterpretation of the core passages of the Hebrew Bible, in English translations up to the King James version, in terms of the emerging national consciousness. Completely independent at their historical sources, nationalism and Protestantism reinforced each other in the crucial English case through the translation of the Hebrew Bible. This, on the one hand, nationalized Protestantism in England and, on the other, led to the incorporation of the biblical concept of the people of God in the new, secular concept of nation.

Representations of secularism in the modern confessional theology

The subject of this research is comprehension of the concept of secularism by theologians of the Abrahamic religious tradition (Christianity, Islam, and Judaism) in the late XX – early XXI centuries. The object of this research is secularism as the phenomenon of modernity. Leaning on the methodology of contextualism, comparative and content analysis, in terms of civilizational approach, the author studies the interpretation of the concept of secularism within the framework of confessional theological discourse. The author has examined the corresponding representations of theologians of the Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant Christian traditions, including the inter-Christian movement of radical Orthodoxy. Analysis is also conducted on the concept of secularism in modern classical Islam and moderate Orthodox Judaism. The main conclusions are as follows: the theologians of all indicated denominations trace the origins of secularism in the West; Islamic theologians agree upon the fact that radical Orthodoxy takes roots in Christianity itself; the representatives of Catholic tradition see secularism as the ideology similar to fundamentalism, however, they deny its universality, and thereby supporting the Orthodox interpretation of secularism. A number of Orthodox theologians view secularism not just as the ideology aimed at achieving the complete elimination religions from public life to purely private life, but also as quasi-religion, which is extraneous to the principles of secularism. Islamic theology believes that secularism, which is alien to the Muslim world, is a serious but not critical challenge brought from the West. Islamic theology tends to see secularism only as ideology, which at times is irrational. Jewish moderate Orthodoxy views secularism as the challenge to traditional meanings that are fundamental to human community. In this regard, they advocate for the so-called ideological consensus between religious belief and secular modernity.

On two modalities of our secularity: anthropology’s immanent frames

ABSTRACT How have anthropologists related to extraordinary or supernatural phenomena (the transcendent) in disciplinary definitions of religion and in the practice of social analysis? This text argues that the discipline’s engagement with alterities that dispute our ontological secular conceptions makes evident its form of knowledge production. The central claim is that anthropology’s secularity is not fixed and should be discussed as part of a historical process. I propose to analyse two modalities of secularity, which I term ‘extinction’ and ‘captivity’. A second claim is that despite their differences, both modalities (re)produce to its academic and Euro-American audience anthropology’s own secularity as a natural human condition. A third claim is that by recognising the characteristics of our discipline’s secularity we may start to speak of a plurality of secular ontologies as a way to register the multiplicity of ‘worldliness’ that traditions and individuals may assume or call for.

Secularism at schools as a tool for social integration: the approach of the European Court of Human Rights

When examining the cases on freedom of religion in the field of education, the European Court of Human Rights increasingly adopts the conception of hard or republican secularism. This approach has far-reaching implications for the Court’s understanding of social integration as a legitimate ground for the restriction on individual’s freedom. The judgement in Osmanoğlu and Kocabaş v. Switzerland and the cases on wearing of religious attire at school demonstrate that despite its claim to neutrality, the republican conception of secularism has its inherent presuppositions about what society should look like and which values such a society should embrace. In consequence, the application of this conception results in standardisation and homogenisation of the society according to secular and thus non-neutral ethos. This outcome is difficult to reconcile not only with equal respect for individual freedom of religion and moral autonomy, but also with general principles underlying its axiological structure, such as pluralism, tolerance, and broadmindedness.

Two different concepts that used interchangebly: worldlinization and secularization

Türkiye’de dünyevileşme ve sekülerleşme kavramları hem akademik metinlerde hem de medyada birbirinin yerine kullanılmaktadır. Bu makale ise “dünyevileşme=sekülerleşme” denkleminin indirgemeci olduğunu ve terk edilmesi gerektiğini savunmaktadır. Doğaüstü alanın toplumsal gücünün azalması olan sekülerleşme ile dünya nimetlerine yönelme anlamına gelen dünyevileşme iki farklı süreci imlemektedir. Bir bireyin sekülerleşmesi onun dünyevileşmesi ile sonuçlanmak zorunda olmadığı gibi, dünyevileşen her bireyin sekülerleşme zorunluluğu da yoktur. Bu iki kavramın aynı anlama gelecek şekilde kullanılmasının yarattığı sıkıntıları aşabilmek için makalemiz yeni bir kavram öneriyor ve bu kavram üzerinden yeni tipolojiler ortaya koyuyor. Önerilen yeni kavram “adünyevilik”tir. Makalede adünyevilik, dünyevi karşıtı olarak, yani dünyevi arzu/hırsları olmayan şeklinde ancak uhrevi ile eş anlamlı olmadan kullanılmaktadır. Bu durumda -iddia edilenin aksine- bir bireyin hem seküler hem de adünyevi olabileceği okuyucuya sunuluyor. Türkiye’de ise akademik metinler ve gazetelerin tartışma sayfaları uhrevilik/dünyevilik dikotomosi üzerinden tartışmaları yürütmektedir. Üçüncü bir yaşam tarzı olarak bir bireyin hem seküler olup hem de her iki dünyanın (öte-dünya ve bu-dünya) nimetlerine ilgi duymayabileceği yok sayılmaktadır. Bu makale ise bu mantık örgüsüne “adünyevi” kavramı ile karşı çıkmakta ve bu sebeple dünyevileşme ve sekülerleşme kavramlarının arz ettikleri farklılıkları betimlemek için dört farklı tipolojiyi okuyucuya sunmaktadır. Bu tipolojilere göre bir birey hem seküler hem de dünyevi (A Tipolojisi), hem deseküler hem dünyevi (B tipolojisi), hem seküler hem “adünyevi” (C Tipolojisi) ve hem deseküler hem de adünyevi (D tipolojisi) olabilir.

Mezhep farklılıklarına karşı diyanetin bütünleştirici politikası

In contemporary Turkey, it is possible to identify an intersection of disparate religious and social identities. The sectarian character of believers resonates within the religious interpretations of separate groups, and occasionally creates an ongoing challenge and complexity for the Diyanet (The Presidency of Religious Affairs) in Turkey. The Diyanet as an official religious institution is established by Turkish government in 1924 under the article 136 of the Constitution of Turkey. The institution is mainly responsible to conduct the religious affairs of Turkish people in harmony with the Islamic religion. The non-binding İslamic legal opinions (fatwā), which are issued in response to questions of believers represents the most active and influential outcome of the Diyanet. The mission of institution also includes to deal with the problematical teachings of various religious groups and to strengthen the ehl-i sunna education of people who experience ingroup socialization. The paper seeks to elaborate the institution’s encounter with the sectarian diversity with specific reference to themes of modernism, secularism and traditionalism. The research divides religious sects of Turkey into three main categories depending on their connection with the faith area (i‘tiqādī), worship area (‘ibādī) and social mobilization (jamā‘a). The Alevis, Ja‘farīs, Shāfīs, and Nurcus are chosen as representative examples of each of these diverged groups respectively. To what extent the Diyanet’s approach towards these groups is influenced by the concepts of modernism, secularism and traditionalism is the main question that the paper aims to answer. The analysis intents to shed light on the affirmative or rejective responses of the Diyanet towards these sectarianist groups in contemporary Turkey.

Unravelling the Indian Conception of Secularism: Tremors of the Pandemic and Beyond

The State’s engagement with religion has formed one of the recurring themes of conflict in India’s democratic experiment. The Indian model of secularism, which evolved in an attempt to resolve this conflict, has distinguished itself from separation-model secularism. This paper seeks to analyse the impact of the measures undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic on the Indian understanding of secularism. To this end, it provides an overview of the nature and evolution of Indian secularism. Thereafter, it encapsulates the steps taken by the State to meet the exigencies of the present contagion and attempts to gauge the impact of the said steps on the jurisprudence on religious freedoms. It then seeks to contextualise this impact by using it to inform the Indian conception of secularism and, thereby, promote a richer, more holistic understanding of how a deeply divided society has functioned as a secular State for seven decades.

Caesaropapism and Secularism in the Byzantine and Russian Tradition

Introduction. The role of Orthodox confessional heritage and the analysis of social traditions of the Balkan and Russian peoples are considered in the generalizing characteristic of the spiritual creations of the thinkers of Rus and Russia. The multidirectional tendencies of anti-clerical forces on the one hand, and of the Church community on the other, indicate that the topic of secularization of Russian society has not received an actual resolution. The purpose of the article is to examine the understanding of the processes of caesaropapism and secularism in Russian society, as well as the historiosophical and methodological consequences of this understanding. Materials and Methods. An integrative approach combined with historical-methodological and philosophical-historical analysis is considered as a theoretical and methodological research strategy. The solution of research problems was provided by a complex of complementary theoretical (analysis of scientific, historical literature, journalistic research on the problem under study, comparative analysis of texts, comparison, generalization) and empirical (study and generalization of normative and legal documents of the concepts of caesaropapism and secularism) methods. Results. The considered model of understanding secularization and secularism in the realities of Russian history indicates the secondary, borrowed nature of these concepts. According to the authors, the Decrees of the Byzantine emperors, acts of the Council of people’s Commissars “On the separation of Church from state and Church from school” did not meet the expectations of the participants of the local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, who expressed their aspirations in the document “on the legal status of the Russian Orthodox Church”. Discussion and Conclusion. The expected effect of the actual understanding of the processes can be a well-built model of state-Church relations, which can only appear if the diverse interests of the actors of modern state-religious policy in Russia are balanced. The proposed provisions and conclusions create prerequisites for further study of the phenomena of secularism and secularization in the design of the state-religious landscape of the near future.

ANALYSIS OF MOB LYNCHING AND RELIGIOUS RIGHTS IN INDIA

Freedom of Religion guaranteed under the Indian Constitution from Article 25-30. The concept of Secularism is implicit in Preamble which secures to its citizen's liberty of thought, expression, faith and worship. And then after 42 amendment1976, the word secular was specifically being added in the constitution. The article digs deeper into recent developments in the matter of religious faiths and what judiciary has interpreted to maintain an egalitarian society. The judiciary issues guidelines and one such issue in which detailed guidelines have been issued is Mob Lynching. In this paper there is discussion on the concept of religious conflicts and reasons behind it and solutions to bring unity in the country.

Future Challenges of Secularization to Asian Christianity and Theology

Future Challenges of Secularization to Asian Christianity and Theology

FOUNDATIONS OF SECULARITY: GLOBAL EXPERIENCE AND KAZAKHSTAN

The paper examines the methodological approaches and the conceptual foundations used to assess the degree of secularity in Western political thought. The concepts of secularity and secularism appear and develop due to historical, social, economic and cultural specifics of each particular society, and different factors, social transformations and the changing role of religion in public space among them, revise the content of these concepts. The paper discusses two main trajectories of such changes in the correlations between religion and politics that contributed to the development of secularity models as they are known today. It offers a clear interpretation of the concepts of secularity, the secularity principle, secularism and secularization and an analysis of the main models and interpretations of secularism and the socio-political factors that affect each of the secularity models. The contemporary religious situation and religious politics of Kazakhstan, as well as the political experience of identifying the principles and criteria of secularity in the republic that synthesizes foreign experience and the specific features of interpretation of secularity inside the country are reflected in the paper.

Simile for the Devil:Paradise Regainedand the Secularization of Satan

AbstractA central, secularizing plot of John Milton'sParadise Regainedis the dissolution of Satan. As the Son passes from scriptural figure to reality, Satan is gradually reduced from mythological character to metaphor. While both the demythologization of evil and the explanation of religious concepts as metaphor have long histories as central examples of secularization and of the liberalization of religion, theorists from the political-theological right (e.g., Carl Schmitt) and postsecularist left (e.g., Talal Asad) have called attention to the analogies that can be drawn between apparently secular concepts and stories and earlier, religious doctrines and myths, claiming that such analogies call into question the legitimacy and distinctiveness of the secular. Against those critiques, I argue that secularization stories can be distinguished from religious narrative, albeit not for their naturalism, their liberalism, their rationalism, or other doctrinal content. Rather, they force us to face their own constructed, literary qualities.

The Case of Zelman v Simmons-Harris and the Shifts in American Secularism

Through the lenses of the case of Zelman v Simmons-Harris(2002), this article discusses the American concept of secularism. Unlike the direct government aid to religious activities in various European and Turkish political systems, the American government supports religious instruction only indirectly. Even though the government programs providing financial aid for religion has always faced rigorous examination in the Supreme Court, the current case law of the Court opens the door for a significant amount of unspecified cash flow to religious schools. Thanks to this constitutional pass, it is possible for future politics and legislative endeavors to reshape the contours of state-religion relations in the field of education. Thus, the distinct feature of American secularism based on separation between church and state might bend further.

The Role of the Turkey Secularization Movement in the Collapse of The Ottomans Empire

Secularism is a product of Western thought that negates the role of religion in state institutions. In Turkey, this thought was carried out at the Tanzimat era of the Ottoman Turkish dynasty which aimed to make the Ottoman Turks more advanced and modern by adopting western values. The main proponent of this movement is The Young Turks which is a revolutionary movement that wants to replace the laws and regulations of the Ottoman Turks with laws that applied in the West. This movement has the support of extremist Jews (Zionism), Western media, and the Freemasonry movement. It was through their secularization agenda that the Ottoman dynasty gradually weakened and collapsed and was replaced by the secular republic of Turkish. This research using qualitative methods base on descriptions, the result obtained from the research are to know early the concept and application of secularism in Khilafah Turkish Ottoman . As well as being a lesson for Muslims and its impact on the sustainability of Islam itself . The contribution of this research can enrich scientific knowledge in the historical field, especially regarding the political and social aspects of Islam in the Uthmani Khilafah.

Analysis and Research on the Employment of Engineering Female Students in Application-oriented Second Level Universities—Taking Civil Engineering College of Shandong Jiaotong University as an Example

Starting from the employment status of Engineering female students in Civil Engineering College of Shandong Jiaotong University, this paper systematically analyzes the reasons for the difficulties in employment and development of female engineering students from the influence of secular traditional concepts, the change of traditional college education mode and the reasons of Engineering female students themselves, and puts forward a series of suggestions on how to improve the employment competitiveness of female students in application-oriented universities.

One Conception of Secularism for All? A Comparison of Conceptions of Laïcité among Nonbelievers, Catholics, and Muslims in France

AbstractIn European countries, a large number of people feel that Islam is incompatible with secularism. France's legal principle of laïcité (a type of state “secularism”) has governed the relationship between religion and society since 1905. However, recent research suggests that there coexist two distinct lay conceptions of laïcité that differ most notably in their tolerance for the presence of religious symbols in public places, one inclusive, the other restrictive. This latter conception appears to target mainly Muslims. The present research examined the lay conceptions of laïcité held by Catholics, Muslims, and nonbelievers. Analyses of participants’ responses (N = 375) to a scale measuring lay beliefs about laïcité confirmed the existence of two distinct lay conceptions of laïcité that differed in the importance given to public expression of religious beliefs, religious neutrality of the state, and equal treatment of different religions. The results also showed that, independent of participants’ religiosity, the restrictive conception was more prevalent among nonbelievers, the two conceptions were equally prevalent among Catholics, and the inclusive conception was more prevalent among Muslims.

Cultural memory and its influence on jewelry design - a case study

This work intends to demonstrate the importance of cultural memory, rescuing what was left to us as a historical and cultural legacy by our ancestors. In this approach, the proposal is to build a jewel as a case study, in order to disseminate and value the influence of Japanese culture, with a millenary heritage of a people who worship their ancestors and who value craftsmanship and manual techniques. In view of this proposal, it is intended to discuss these relations between jewelry design and Japanese culture, to establish a cross between memory, history and cultural symbols, an articulation between tradition and contemporaneity. Jewelry as a vehicle for a place full of memories that connects cultures in time and space. It will be presented as references the work of jewelry designers Kazumi Nagano, known for her work in gold threads, paper and fabrics, and Kazuko Nishibayashi with structured jewelry, yet transmitting lightness and fluidity. In addition as a case study, and in dialogue with the proposed discussion, I will present the jewels that I have been developing starting from my oriental roots and my training as an architect, seeking to balance the jewels structured with the same concepts that are applied in architecture as per example form and function, textures and full and voids as well as the importance of Japanese cultural heritage, such as origami and shibori, an ancient technique of manual dyeing creating patterns in the fabric that consists of sewing, folding, tying or attaching the fabric to dip in tincture. It is understood that since the most remote times, jewelry is a form of communication, capable of expressing different cultures and the group belonging to it, jewelry has values attributed by each person and is recognized at different times and different peoples. However, the concept of jewelry in Japan differs from that of theWest, probably due to the secular conception of fashion. It was not common to use necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings in traditional clothing, being in charge of the use only by men and women of the nobility. In the rescue of Japanese cultural memory, the concept of what is or is not a jewel is manual work, the raw piece transformed into art and not its expensive raw material. Such memories of an ancient tradition make it possible to recover and rescue fragments that remain in memory that occupy a place in space. This cultural memory can be enhanced as it becomes “raw material” in jewelrydesign, rescuing ancestry keeping it in the present, an eternal return of these memories. It is the materialization of only a very tenuous part of a cultural heritage acquired from our past, manifesting itself as a trend, but in constant change. Therefore, in this theoretical-practical work, jewels reflecting ancient Japanese art will be presented as an inheritance for a contemporary world and as theoretical reflections such as Bergson, Deleuze and Nora clarify questions about memory as multiplicity, and how it articulates in the temporal planes evidencing cultural values of a place.

GENDER AND THE “FAITH” IN LAW: EQUALITY, SECULARISM, AND THE RISE OF THE HINDU NATION

AbstractThis article analyzes how concepts of gender, gender equality, and secularism have been addressed by the higher judiciary in India in cases dealing with matters of religion. The discussion focuses on three landmark decisions of the Indian Supreme Court on gender equality. The cases involve challenges to discriminatory religious practices that target women in the Muslim-minority and Hindu-majority communities. In each case, gender equality is taken up in relation to religion in ways that produce several outcomes for women that are problematic rather than ones that are unequivocally progressive or transformative. The judicial reasoning in each case resonates with the Hindu Right's approach to gender, gender equality, and secularism. Each concept is used to advance the Hindu Right's majoritarian and ideological agenda, which seeks to establish India as a virile “Hindu” nation. Ironically, interventions by progressive groups, including feminist and human rights advocates opposed to the Hindu Right's makeover of the Indian nation, have not proved to be disruptive of gender norms; nor have they pushed back the tides of Hindu (male) majoritarianism that are increasingly determining the terms of engagement on issues of gender and faith in law.

Effect Local Direction on Balinese Traditional Settlement Layout, Case Study: Pengotan Traditional Village in Bali, Indonesia

The pattern of Pengotan Village is extended from the kaja (sacred) to the kelod (profane), which consists of three zones, namely the Utama (zone of sacred) as the space intended for shrines (temple), Madya (transition/between space) as the space for residential housing units, and the Nista zone (zone of profane) intended for the graveyard (setra). This pattern is repeated in clusters of residential housing units. The aim of this study is spatial analysis of luan (sacred) and teben (profane) orientations in Indigenous Village Pengotan through an approach: (1) history of the Traditional Village Pengotan, (2) conception of the mountain as a sacred direction, (3) conception luan (holy) and teben (profane) on settlements in the mountainous area, (4) general concepts of religious and secular space and (5) conception of signifier and signified spaces in architecture. The method used is naturalistic interpretive in studying the area in a conceptual (intangible) and concreate (tangible) context through empirical studies on sensual (observation), native's viewpoint, logic viewpoint (researcher's perspective), and intangible aspects. The results of this study are (1) spatial patterns based on luan (sacred) and teben (profane) conception; (2) the signifier and signified system in the space of on luan (holy) and teben (profane) orientation and (3) the relationship between Mount Batur and Mount Abang as luan (sacred) orientation in the Pengotan Village.

Sexuality education as political theology: pathways to non-violence

ABSTRACT Thinking sexuality education and religion together often results in antagonisms that pit religious and secular values against each other. Political theology provides new insights into this tendency by showing how modern concepts of political legitimacy are based on secularised Christian theology. Neoliberal schooling, public sexual health and human rights provide legitimacy for sexuality education in post-Christian societies and all three are grounded in political theology. The political theology of sexuality education can be seen wherever ideal sexual subjectivities are presented which set up standards which one can succeed or fail to meet with clear consequences. These standards could be heterosexual, safe and marital, but equally agential, pleasurable, transgressive and self-aware. While there may be many ways of escaping the Christian political theological foundations of sexuality education altogether, a political theology of non-violence opens up a way for Christian and secular conceptions of sexuality education to move forward amidst significant cultural and moral difference.