FEATURED IMISCOE TITLE
Secularism or Democracy? Associational Governance of Religious Diversity
Veit Bader
Amsterdam University Press, 2007 |
Description This volume offers an innovative response to today’s ever-pressing problems concerning the governance of religious diversity. Bader introduces Associative Democracy as a plausible way for societies to pull themselves out of the trap between a fully secularised state based on American denominationalism and ‘pillarised’ regimes of selective cooperation between religions and the state. Theoretical yet practical, the work draws from moral and political philosophy, constitutional law, history, sociology and anthropology of religions and comparative institutionalism |
What others have said
‘Veit Bader raises one of the most controversial questions of our time: How should democracies respond to religious claims for public recognition? Bader argues for associative pluralism rather than secularism as the guiding principle. His answers are provocative as well as erudite, comprehensive as well as concrete. This book sets a new standard for the debate over democratic governance of religious diversity.’
– Rainer Bauböck
Professor of Social and Political Theory
European University Institute, Florence
‘In this important book, Veit Bader offers an anti-perfectionist defence of religious diversity and its associational governance. His bold and courageous approach to these issues is based on a concept of minimal morality that is coupled with a commitment to maximum institutional pluralism. Secularism or Democracy puts at centre-stage the urgent need to revisit the relationship between religion and politics if we are to live together peacefully and respectfully in our diverse societies.’
– Ayelet Shachar
Leah Kaplan Visiting Professor of Law
Stanford Law School, Stanford, California
About the author
Veit Bader (IMES) is Professor of Sociology and Professor of Social and Political Philosophy at the University of Amsterdam.
