Freedom of Religion and the Secular State

Exploring the relationship between religion and the state Focusing on the intersection of religion, law, and politics in contemporary liberal democracies, Blackford considers the concept of the secular state, revising and updating enlightenment views for the present day. Freedom of Religion and the Secular State offers a comprehensive analysis, with a global focus, of the subject of religious freedom from a legal as well as historical and philosophical viewpoint. It makes an original contribution to current debates about freedom of religion, and addresses a whole range of hot-button issues that involve the relationship between religion and the state, including the teaching of evolution in schools, what to do about the burqa, and so on.

1 Motivation and Overview 1 2 A Short History of Religious Intolerance 20 3 Hobbes, Locke, and their Legacy: Models of the Modern State 34 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