Freedom of Religion and the Secular State

Religious freedom is the prototypical liberal freedom, acornerstone of modern political rights. Freedom of Religion andthe Secular State examines the concept of religious freedom,focusing on today′s hot–button issues, including blasphemy andreligious vilification; the teaching of biological evolution inschools; the health and welfare of children (particularly wherereligious beliefs clash with modern forms of medical treatment);claims by some religious organizations for a right of conscientiousobjection (e.g., doctors who refuse to perform abortions); and therecognition of Sharia law in Western societies.

 

Such issues are topical, controversial, and intransigent.Somewhere at the core of contention lies fear of overweeninggovernment power, used to impose a favored understanding of theworld – or another, transcendent, world – or to persecute thosewith a different understanding.

With a background in legal and political philosophy, philosophyof religion, and moral theory, Russell Blackford traces thehistorical background both of religious persecution and the modernliberal state′s embrace of secularity and religious freedom.Engaging in contemporary debates, he argues for a balanced view ofwhat religious freedom is about, and how the state should approachit.

1 Motivation and Overview 1

2 A Short History of Religious Intolerance 20

3 Hobbes, Locke, and their Legacy: Models of the Modern State34

4 Religious Impositions and Endorsements 56

5 Religion–Based Morality and the Secular State 67

6 Persecution, Accommodation, and Conscientious Objection 94

7 Private Power, Religious Communities, and the State 118

8 Religious Freedom and the Interests of Children 141

9 Religious Freedom and Freedom of Speech 169

10 Back to Locke: Concluding Remarks 198

Index 202

Russell Blackford is an Australian philosopher and literarycritic, based at the University of Newcastle, NSW. He iseditor–in–chief of The Journal of Evolution and Technology,and co–editor, with Udo Schüklenk, of 50 Voices ofDisbelief: Why We Are Atheists. His areas of expertise includelegal and political philosophy, philosophical bioethics,metaethics, and philosophy of religion. He has published essays,stories, and reviews in a wide range of magazines, anthologies, andacademic journals.

Rare are the books that effectively discuss andconnect philosophical background and practical foreground. RussellBlackford s Freedom of Religion and the Secular State isone.  Blackford s always and admirably accessibleoverview covers not only a wide range of prominent controversies,but a number of equally crucial yet commonly overlooked issues suchas religious proselytizing and the legitimacy of official churchestablishments.   (The
Review of Politics, 1 November 2013)

Freedom of Religion & the Secular State could not bemore timely. If it becomes a standard text in colleges anduniversities, and, more generally, became a handy reference tothose intimately concerned with questions regarding the separationof religion and state, then possibly, despite continuing heat overthe subject, a little cool reflection could mediate thedivide.   (Atheists United, 2012)

"I found the book to be concise and deceptively simply written,but with great depth of analysis. Of course, as a non–religiousperson, perhaps it is hardly surprising that I enjoyed Blackford′sanalysis so much: in a sense, he is already "preaching to theconverted" for a reader like myself. However, I think it wouldprobably provide much food for thought for the reasonable religiousperson too." (Skepticlawyer, 9 February 2012)

"But anyway, even with this, this book is a must–have. It needsto be kept to hand in any discussion of Western secularism."(Steve′s Posterous, 28 January 2012)

"This worthy contribution to the debate on religious freedomanalyses the history and thinking that has underpinned westernsociety today ... Whilst written by an academic, the style andlanguage open up a complex and important debate to a mass audienceand clearly underline the principles at stake for both state andchurch." (Life & Work, 1 February 2012)

"Freedom of Religion and the Secular State offers acomprehensive analysis, with a global focus, of the subject ofreligious freedom from a legal as well as historical andphilosophical viewpoint." (The Richard Dawkins Foundation, 16December 2011)