Secularism - ORA - Oxford University Research Archive

Abstract:: The chapter articulates a political theory of secularism that can be defended against common, legitimate criticisms of existing forms of secularism. What I call minimal secularism is not vulnerable to the claim that secularism is hostile to religion, marked by an ethnocentric legacy of church-state separation, or committed to a Christian, and specifically Protestant, conception of religion. In addition, it is more structured and precise than liberal philosophies advocating state ‘neutrality’ towards the plurality of conceptions of the good life. Minimal secularism is a thin, yet attractive, transnational ideal for progressive politics.

Publication status:: Published

Peer review status:: Peer reviewed

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APA Style

Laborde, C. (2025). Secularism. In R. Bellamy & J. King (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Constitutional Theory (1st ed., pp. 333–342). Cambridge University Press.

MLA Style

Laborde, C. “Secularism.” The Cambridge Handbook of Constitutional Theory, edited by R Bellamy and J King, 1st ed., Cambridge University Press, 2025, pp. 333–42. Cambridge Law Handbooks.

Chicago Style

Laborde, C. 2025. “Secularism.” In The Cambridge Handbook of Constitutional Theory, 1st ed., edited by R Bellamy and J King. Cambridge Law Handbooks. Cambridge University Press.
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Files:: Laborde_2025_Secularism.pdf

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Publisher copy:: 10.1017/9781108868143.023

Authors

+ Laborde, C More by this author

Institution:: University of Oxford
Division:: SSD
Department:: Politics & Int Relations
Role:: Author

Contributors

Role:: Editor

Role:: Editor

Publisher:: Cambridge University Press
Host title:: The Cambridge Handbook of Constitutional Theory
Pages:: 333-342
Chapter number:: 20
Series:: Cambridge Law Handbooks
Place of publication:: Cambridge
Publication date:: 2025-03-27
Edition:: 1
DOI:: 10.1017/9781108868143.023
EISBN:: 9781108868143
ISBN:: 9781108491310

Language:: English
Keywords:: secularism

church-state separation

liberalism

religion

state neutrality

ethnocentrism

comparative constitutionalism

transnational constitutionalism
Subtype:: Chapter
Pubs id:: 1104785
Local pid:: pubs:1104785
Deposit date:: 2020-05-13
ARK identifier:: ark:/29072/ora_1ec562af77ef4b3a92f4f79053ca2efd

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Copyright holder:: Cambridge University Press & Assessment
Copyright date:: 2025
Rights statement:: © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2025

Licence:: Terms and Conditions of Use for Oxford University Research Archive

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