postsecular

Postsecular is a term used to describe a social, political, or intellectual condition in which religion remains a meaningful factor in public life after periods of modernization and secularization. It is often applied to analyses that see religious and secular reasoning as coexisting and contesting in the public sphere rather than following a simple, linear decline of religion.

The concept grew out of debates about secularization in late 20th and early 21st century sociology and political theory. Scholars such as José Casanova argued that secularization is not an inevitable, uniform decline of religion across all domains, and that religious identities and institutions can continue to shape politics, law, and public policy. The idea of a postsecular society is sometimes associated with the broader historical work that notes religion’s persistence and resurgence in modern life, and with discussions about how religious voices can legitimately contribute to public justification alongside secular ones.

Key features of postsecular perspectives include the acceptance of religious reasons in public discourse, ongoing religious pluralism, and active participation of religious groups in civil society and policy debates. These viewpoints often emphasize dialogue between secular and faith-based actors and stress that state neutrality may accommodate a range of moral and religious perspectives without endorsing any single tradition.

Critics of postsecularism caution that anticipated revivals of religion may be uneven or overstated, and that the framework can obscure ongoing secular trends or power asymmetries. The term is widely used in political philosophy, sociology of religion, and public theology to describe the evolving relationship between religion and modern state life.