A Review of Secularism: A Very Short Introduction by Andrew Copson

Oxford University Press, 2019

First a word about the Oxford University Press series called “very short introductions.” Don’t miss it: The series covers a myriad a subjects, commissioning authorities in the areas covered. If you want an overview of a topic that is at once concise, balanced, and wide-ranging, this is the series for you.

The very short tour of secularism, for example, is written by Andrew Copson, Chief Executive of Humanists UK. Copson also co-edited The Wiley Blackwell Handbook of Humanism. Copson knows whereof he speaks.

What is “secularism”? A good question, and Copson surveys the nuances. He starts with a three-part definition by French scholar of secularism Jean Baubérot:

• Separation of religious institutions from the institutions of the state and no domination of the political sphere by religious institutions
• Freedom of thought, conscience, and religion for all, with everyone free to change their beliefs and manifest their beliefs within the limits of public order and the rights of others
• No state discrimination against anyone on grounds of their religion or non-religious world view, with everyone receiving equal treatment on these grounds

Given this definition, are any nations successfully secular? No. Baubérot’s is the ideal. A bit less idealistically, the sociologist Jose Casanova defines secularism as “some principle of separation between religious and political authority.” This definition is closer to the realties of the seventy of the world’s 195 constitutions that declare a separation of religion the state.

Copson surveys the history of an idea and the manifestations of the idea, from its birth in the French Enlightenment to the constitutions of the US , Turkey, and India. Secular governments claim their power from the “consent of the governed,” rather than claiming a mandate from heaven.

One chapter considers the case for secularism, another the case against it. Copson manages to be fair and balanced, though he clearly treasures secularism.

A central question we must ask of secularism is this: Is it merely a product of European colonialism? Copson answers yes and no. After all, many people object to the Western separation of religion from other of life’s actions. “Religion” is a category invented in the West, as is its opposite, secularism. For example, while Judaism and Christianity have had problematic relationships with government, Islam has from the beginning exhibited both a personal and political dimension.

Many Christians question the separation of church and state as well. In Europe, several nations have maintained state churches in which a particular tradition within Christianity is favored by the state. In the US, conservative Christians routinely claim a religious — divine — motive for their conservative politics in their attempts to “bring the nation back to God.”

Since its mid-twentieth century heyday, secularism has been on the decline. Still, Copson is optimistic concerning secularism: “A secular state can coexist with a religious citizenry.” In this incarnation of secularism, religious people would vote according to their beliefs, but, Compson claims: “Having a religious motivation for engaging is not the same as demanding that a religious rationale form the basis of a general law . . .”

As the separation of religion and government becomes increasingly complex, this book is a little gem of clear thinking and freethinking. Do yourself a favor and read it.