The Origins of the Secular State

UCL Uncovering Politics · Mar 24, 2022 · 29m

Some states are secular, while others are based, to a greater or lesser degree, on religion. The difference matters. Secular states are more likely to respect the diverse perspectives of their citizens and protect a range of social and political rights.

So what explains variation in institutional secularism? Why did some state secularize centuries ago, while others underwent a secular shift more recently, and yet others remain religious to this day?

This is one of the key questions about political development, but it has gone relatively under-studied.

A new book, however, changes that. Called…