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Articles on Secularism

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Students attend a class at the Averroès school in Lille, France, in September 2023. Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP via Getty Images

France’s biggest Muslim school went from accolades to defunding – showing a key paradox in how the country treats Islam

Some of the measures the French government has taken to fight radicalization can do the opposite, three social scientists argue.
L'archevêque de Canterbury Justin Welby place la couronne de Saint Édouard sur la tête du roi Charles III de Grande-Bretagne lors de la cérémonie de couronnement à l'intérieur de l'abbaye de Westminster, dans le centre de Londres, le 6 mai 2023. Victoria Jones/AFP

Are French and English secularist traditions that far apart?

On several counts, England is now on its way to becoming a secularist society. Nevertheless, there remain cultural differences that prevent it from embracing the French principle of “laïcité”.
Many religious graduate students in science say they keep quiet about that aspect of their identity. Sean Anthony Eddy/E+ via Getty Images

The challenges of being a religious scientist

Stereotypes about religion vs. science are overblown – but those assumptions can create challenges for religious grad students, a sociologist finds.
Residents watch French air force jets fly over a Paris suburb during the Bastille Day military parade on July 14, 2023. AP Photo/Youcef Bounab

French schools’ ban on abayas and headscarves is supposedly about secularism − but it sends a powerful message about who ‘belongs’ in French culture

Catholicism, ‘Frenchness’ and secularism are often conflated in French culture, a scholar writes, while non-Christian traditions are viewed with suspicion.
Who did the honors: clergy, a justice of the peace or just a friend? More and more weddings are performed by someone ordained online. Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision via Getty Images

Just about anybody in America can officiate a wedding, thanks to the internet – and one determined preacher

A professor who has researched the Universal Life Church unpacks why many couples now prefer to hand-pick loved ones to perform their ceremonies.
Iranian women protesting the death of Mahsa Amini gather outside the Iranian consulate in Istanbul, Turkey on Oct. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

What does ‘secularism’ mean in the Iran protests?

Narratives that pit secular protesters against a religious regime do not necessarily explain the protests in Iran or what they are calling for.
People enjoying Christmas decorations in Johannesburg, South Africa. Luca Sola/AFP via Getty Images

How to live up to the true spirit of Christmas

Research shows that religious people who actively participate in religious gatherings tend to have a more positive experience of Christmas, with expectations largely fulfilled.

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