A critical reading after secularism

Because secularism, in terms of terminology and connotation, and in terms of political and social impact, has been and still is a subject of research and questioning in many Western studies, this book combines a number of research papers that shed light on the concept of secularism and its issues in a postmodern context, as well as questioning the relationship between secularism and religion, and attempting to uncover the concepts of secularism, secular humanism, and secularization. The studies in this book are connected by a unifying thread, raising new questions about secularism, and trying to reveal the ambiguity of the term and the complexity of the issues it raises, as well as the cognitive and social fields it engages with. It includes a collection of translated studies by a distinguished elite of thinkers interested in the issue of secularism. In the study "Western Secularism," the esteemed philosopher and social theorist Charles Taylor presents some of his core ideas on the subject, which he elaborates on in his famous book "A Secular Age." In the study "Secularists and Secular Humanism," the religious sociologist José Casanova provides a detailed conceptual analysis of the concepts of secularist, secularization, and secular humanism, with a focus on the latter. Meanwhile, in his study "Post-Secular: A Debate with Habermas," he analyzes the concept of secularism and critiques the post-secular concept as presented by the great German philosopher Jürgen Habermas. In the study "Confronting Secular Humanism: Secular Humanism and Islam in the Works of Talal Asad," Sindar Bangstad reviews and criticizes the concept of secular humanism as understood by the prominent anthropologist Talal Asad. In "Secular Humanism: Its Content and Context," Aqil Belgrami, engaging with Charles Taylor’s ideas, provides a detailed analysis of the concept of secular humanism as a political doctrine, along with its foundations and justifications for adoption and application. In "Variations of the Secular Experience," Gregory Stainton offers a strong critique of the concept of secularism and its derivatives, arguing that it is a normative or value-based concept, fundamentally contested, and therefore its analytical value is weak or nonexistent. In her study "Islamism, Secularization, and Secularism," Katerina Dalakoura applies Casanova’s and Taylor’s ideas to Islamic movements, demonstrating the extent to which secularism is embedded in the structure and practices of these movements.