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Tharun Venkat explores the root causes of modern-day conflicts in India over political-religious questions and the role of the consititutional principle of secularism.

Abstract
In line with Jacques Berlinerblau's Secularism: The Basics, this commentary highlights manifestations of secularism beyond the west. It argues that state regulation of religion and religious citizens is not one dimensional. Secularism takes different forms and contends with differing sociopolitical realities.

Abstract
Review article on Jacques Berlinerblau's Secularism: the Basics.

In this paper I analyze Cecile Laborde's conception of justificatory secularism. Laborde points out that in her formulation and defense of the conception of justificatory secularism, she follows Rawls' conception of political liberalism to a certain extent. For that reason, I first provide a sketch of Rawls' conception of political liberalism. Then I focus on justificatory secularism, trying to show to what extent it displays similarities with the conception of political liberalism, but also how it differs. I am interested in whether justificatory secularism represents a better alternative to the conception of political liberalism or whether these two conceptions should be considered complementary.

This paper explores the political thought during the 1920s of Lala Lajpat Rai (1865–1928), a prominent anti-colonial nationalist. It outlines the historical context under which a secular politics became vital for Rai, and elaborates the intricate internal texture of his complex, often fluid vision of secularism. The second half of the paper explores the theoretical implications of Rai's dynamic position. It illustrates how Lajpat Rai simultaneously articulated both a Hindu communal politics and a vision of secularism. By so doing, this paper challenges the long-drawn strict dichotomy between Hindu politics or Hindu 'communalism' and Indian secularism. Yet, the paper also pushes back against revisionist scholarship which, in challenging assumptions of strict mutual exclusivity between Indian secularism and Hindu communalism, has tended to overlook and undermine meaningful distinctions that still exist between these categories. This paper insists on the need to retain and respect the analytical distinctions between the two categories, even while recognising that they do not always exist in relation to each other as a strict dichotomy. Unearthing a hitherto-hidden Indian secularism articulated by this 'Hindu communal' politician, the paper will briefly explore the ways in which Rai's complex position overlaps with, and is distinct from, Western variants of secularism, India's constitutional secularism, and the Gandhian-Nehruvian vision, the latter of which became hegemonic till the 1970s. The paper ends by, very briefly, comparing Lajpat Rai's position with Hindutva nationalism – a major influence on the contemporary Hindu right – and by reflecting on the relationship between the Hindu right and secularism.

Abstract
My article offers commentary about Jacques Berlinerblau's new book Secularism: The Basics.

In this paper I analyze C?cile Laborde?s conception of justificatory
secularism. Laborde points out that in her formulation and defense of the
conception of justificatory secularism, she follows Rawls? conception of
political liberalism to a certain extent. For that reason, I first provide a
sketch of Rawls? conception of political liberalism. Then I focus on
justificatory secularism, trying to show to what extent it displays
similarities with the conception of political liberalism, but also how it
differs. I am interested in whether justificatory secularism represents a
better alternative to the conception of political liberalism or whether
these two conceptions should be considered complementary.

Abstract
Berlinerblau's latest work, Secularism: The Basics, is a thoughtful, insightful, brilliant, and accessible introduction to political secularism—full of global examples, relevant controversies, and ten core principles that underly the entire secularist phenomenon.

"Religion, Secularism, and Political Belonging rethinks the meaning of the secular/religion relationship across the globe, and with it the approach needed to conduct research in the Global Humanities today, by developing a translational approach to its comparative study of four distinct regions of the world-North America, the European Union, Israel/Palestine, and China"--

Abstract
My article offers commentary about Jacques Berlinerblau's new book Secularism: The Basics.

Abstract
My article offers commentary about Jacques Berlinerblau's new book Secularism: The Basics.

Received 11.01.2020. The article discusses the problem of the decline in the spirit of Indian secularism, both in connection with the significant loss of popularity of the INC party and the general crisis of liberal values in the world, examines the reasons for the complication of intercommunal dialogue and the reduction of public space for tolerance. The understanding of such key ideas as secularism, religious tolerance, multiculturalism, pluralism in political culture and society determines not only its prospects on its path to modernization, but also determines the fate of these societies. In addition to the ideological confrontation around the listed concepts within the Indian political system, the study examines the special role of educational institutions at all levels and the media in expanding the space of public dialogue and also outlines the difficulties faced by the country's political institutions. Based on the examples of recent experience in resolving the Kashmir problem and the adoption of the Citizenship Law, an attempt is made to assess the mutual influence of the secular self-awareness of Indians and religious dynamics in a complex structured Indian society on political processes. The paper assesses the impact of the Hindutva ideology on reducing the degree of secularity in modern India and the role of the Sangh Parivar family (Hindu ethno-nationalist organizations) in the course of the country's forced "saffronization" policy.

"This volume explores the dynamic life of religion and politics in France. The separation of Church and State and the autonomy of school education from religion are the two fundamental pillars of France as a Secular Republic. The historical construction of French Secularism (laïcité) was particularly marked by the strong opposition between the State and the Catholic Church. However, the religious disaffiliation of a significant proportion of the French strengthened State Secularism, which gradually became more consensual - despite some persisting tensions in the school context. Yet, in the last decades, several factors have revived public debate on laicity: the quarrel over 'sects' and new religious movements; controversies over Islam, today the second-largest religion in France; and, more recently, dispute over bioethics. Faced with these challenges, laicity as well as the religious groups involved have been changing. The authors of this book, ranking amongst the best French experts in the study of religion and secularism, introduce the reader to a living and lived laicity influenced by the social and religious dynamics of contemporary France. They demonstrate that the configurations of French Secularism are both more flexible and complex than they appear to be. The volume investigates the extent to which the French idea of secularisation has been pushed to be more thorough and radical in its interaction with its other European counterparts. A key work on French political thought, this volume will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of international politics, political philosophy, political sociology, and religion and politics"--

Religion and spirituality have been scarcely addressed in heritage preservation history, discourse, and practice. More recently, increased interest in the intersections between the study of religion and heritage preservation in both academic studies and institutional initiatives highlight obstacles that the field has yet to overcome theoretically and methodologically. This Element surveys the convergences of religious and heritage traditions. It argues that the critical heritage turn has not adequately considered the legacy of secularism that underpins the history and contemporary practices of heritage preservation. This omission is what has left the field of heritage studies ill-equipped to support the study and management of a heritage of religion broadly construed.

The recent growth of the secular population in the United States has implications for American politics. However, our understanding of these implications has been hindered by oversimplified concepts and measures that equate secularism with non-religion. We separate the two concepts, distinguishing "non-religiosity," or the absence of religion, from "secularism," or a positive embrace of secular beliefs and identities. Using original national-sample cross-sectional and panel surveys, we introduce new measures of secularism, evaluate their properties, and assess their connection to political attitudes and behavior. We find a clear distinction between secularism and non-religiosity in the American public and show that secularism is more closely related than non-religiosity to political attitudes, identifications, and engagement. In fact, while secularism is related to changes over time in political orientations, non-religiosity is not.