säkularen

Säkularen is a Swedish term used to denote the secular realm—the world and social life outside the sacred or religious spheres. In practice, it can refer to the secular as a way of organizing society, to secularists who identify with non-religious values, or to secularist ideology. The word derives from Latin saecularis, meaning worldly or non-monastic, and has been used in various European languages to distinguish lay or worldly concerns from religious ones.

In scholarly and public discourse, säkularen is closely linked to the concept of secularization, the historical process whereby religious authority loses influence over public institutions and everyday life. This process is said to affect areas such as education, politics, law, and public policy, shaping norms around neutrality of state institutions, freedom of belief, and the separation of church and state.

Usage and debates surrounding säkularen often center on the relationship between religion and public life. Proponents of secularism argue that a neutral, secular public sphere protects pluralism and individual rights. Critics contend that secularization is not uniform across societies and can marginalize religious communities or reduce the public profile of faith in ways that affect cultural and moral discourses.

Today, discussions of säkularen appear in analyses of Swedish society and broader Western contexts, where the balance between secular values and religious diversity continues to evolve. Related terms include sekularisering (secularization) and discussions of church-state relations, religious education, and religious freedom.