Secularism, Religion and Multicultural Citizenship [Paperback]

Geoffrey Brahm Levey (Editor), Tariq Modood (Editor), Charles Taylor (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 22, 2008

The Islamist attacks of 9/11, the Danish cartoon affair and rioting by Muslim youths in France are just some of the events that have caused the 'Muslim question' to become a key issue of public debate in many western democracies. Secularism, Religion and Multicultural Citizenship argues that the Muslim case raises important questions about how we understand western secularism and respond to new religious claims in multicultural democracies. The contributors challenge prevailing assumptions about the history and practice of western secularism and recover the pragmatism behind liberal principles in negotiating new conditions. By situating the Muslim experience in relation to western secularism and liberal democratic practice, and through examining a variety of national contexts (including Britain, Germany, France, Denmark, the United States, Australia and India), this book extends thinking about our contemporary condition and considers the broader significance for multicultural liberal democracies.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"What, exactly, is liberal about passing restrictive policies designed to defend liberalism from the claims of religious populations? Nothing, is the answer given in this challenging and provocative book. In fact, many of the authors of these essays contend that European states have responded to the rise of Islam in their midst with a peculiar form of cultural and political sectarianism that has, at times, been glaringly illiberal. This book is sure to shape debate on a classic theoretical question that now resides at the heart of contemporary European politics." - Tim Byrnes, Dept of Political Science, Colgate University

"For Levey and Modood, the key challenge is to tease out a thorough understanding of what might constitute 'secularism' and to reflect on the variety of social locations in which previous attempts at this task have been made. In pursuit of this task they have gathered many of the world's leading students of religion, state and the civil sphere. Rich in history, acknowledging the impact of global migration flows on debates regarding the core precepts of liberalism, citizenship and ethnicity, the book also benefits from case studies recent and not so recent." - Thinking Faith: The Online Journal of the British Jesuits

"A challenge... faces the authors... whose ambition is to bring to bear theoretical rigor, historical insights, and cultural analysis upon questions of political theory that ate as timely as they are weighty, namely the just boundary between Islam and the state, the risks associated with secularism, and the compatibility of Islam and western liberal democracy. Under the direction of editors Geoffrey Brahm Levey and Tariq Modood, the authors rise to the occasion with originality, aplomb, and a refreshing pragmatism that makes this a book well worth reading." - Richard Albert, Boston College Law School, Journal of Church and State

Book Description

Contemporary Western democracies are challenged by the problems raised by the relationship between religion, multiculturalism and secularism. This book seeks to clarify the history, terms and limits of western secularism and explores the Muslim experience today, considering its broader significance for multicultural liberal democracies.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 298 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1 edition (December 22, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521695414
• ISBN-13: 978-0521695411
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #814,297 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking!, December 30, 2011

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The_Young_Contrarian - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secularism, Religion and Multicultural Citizenship (Paperback)

This was used as a text book in one of my Religious Studies classes last semester. All I can say is that I'm glad I read it. I can't say I agreed with everything, but it sure made me question the way I thought. Most of the book focuses on Muslim integration into Western countries and the issues that have been raised as a result. The book is a collection of essays, but the general thesis is that the issue of Muslim integration extends beyond Muslims themselves and raises fundamental questions about the principles we value in liberal-democratic, multicultural, societies. Much of the book focuses on the trio of values that came out of the French Revolution: Liberty, equality, fraternity. The question, however, is how do we achieve the optimum balance between the three? This is, in a broad sense, what the book is about.

I would imagine most people would buy this book for a university level class. If you are considering picking it up and reading for pleasure, I highly recommend that you do. It is a though provoking, well written book that will give you a lot to think about.