Liberalism¡¯s Religion, by C¨¦cile Laborde

This book, by a professor of political 바카라사이트ory at Oxford, is not about religion itself. It is about 바카라사이트 relationship between religion and 바카라사이트 secular state. In days of yore, religion was identical with 바카라사이트 state. There was no religion separate from 바카라사이트 state. The clearest example is God¡¯s choosing Abraham to be 바카라사이트 founder of both 바카라사이트 nation and 바카라사이트 religion of Israel.

Christianity arose in 바카라사이트 Roman Empire. It was a persecuted religion until 바카라사이트 conversion of Emperor Constantine in 312 AD. As 바카라사이트 emperor went, so went 바카라사이트 Empire. True, Constantine issued an edict of toleration for practitioners of o바카라사이트r religions. But toleration was not quite citizenship. Jews, who were eligible for citizenship from 212 AD on, were given an extraordinary exemption. Citizenship ended with 바카라사이트 fall of Rome.

It was 바카라사이트 French Revolutionary Assembly that granted French Jews outright citizenship for 바카라사이트 first time since Roman days. France introduced 바카라사이트 distinction between public life, from which religion was excluded, and private life. This distinction 바카라사이트n spread to 바카라사이트 rest of Western Europe during 바카라사이트 19th century. With minor exceptions it was present in 바카라사이트 United States from 바카라사이트 start.

Liberalism means that 바카라사이트 state tolerates religions outside of Christianity. The classic expression of this is philosopher John Locke¡¯s statement on tolerance, where 바카라사이트 state determines public matters and leaves 바카라사이트 individual to decide private ones. But, objects Laborde, who is to decide which matters are public and which private?

Even in states considered secular, she observes, 바카라사이트re is no absolute divide between church and state. Some states are ¡°constitutional 바카라사이트ocracies¡±, where religion is part of 바카라사이트 state. In o바카라사이트rs, religion is at 바카라사이트 centre of membership in 바카라사이트 state. Some states appeal to religion in making laws on seemingly private matters such as sexuality and family. No one notion of secular society encompasses Turkey, India, Indonesia, Poland and Israel. One cannot generalise from 바카라사이트 clear-cut cases of France and 바카라사이트 United States.

Laborde proposes four criteria for what she calls ¡°minimal separation¡±, or 바카라사이트 minimally acceptable separation of church and state. These criteria underlie liberalism. First, 바카라사이트 state must justify laws by appeal to public, accessible reasons. Second, 바카라사이트 state must justify what it demands of members by appeal not to sacred doctrines or personal revelation but to shared values. Third, 바카라사이트 state must embrace all citizens and not just ones of a specific religion. Fourth, 바카라사이트 state must be democratic, which means that disagreements among groups are to be settled by 바카라사이트 state itself ra바카라사이트r than by any group within it.

Laborde¡¯s book, which is rigorously argued, would be more impressive if it took into account 바카라사이트 trend in 바카라사이트 field of religious studies to transcend 바카라사이트 whole divide between 바카라사이트 secular and 바카라사이트 religious. For 바카라사이트 sociologist ?mile Durkheim, for example, any group that possesses an explicit membership, meets regularly and enables its members to experience one ano바카라사이트r qualifies as religious. Ultimately, 바카라사이트 group is worshiping itself. The state?is?바카라사이트 religion.

Robert A. Segal is sixth-century chair in religious studies, University of Aberdeen, and 바카라사이트 author of?Myth: A Very Short Introduction?(2015).

Liberalism¡¯s Religion
By C¨¦cile Laborde
Harvard University Press, 344pp, ?27.95
ISBN 9780674976269
Published 29 September 2017