Secular Ideology

Socialist Secularism Religion, Modernity, and Muslim Women’s Emancipation in Bulgaria and Yugoslavia, 1945–1991

by Kristen Ghodsee

coauthored with Pamela Ballinger

The Melbourne Cup: Australian Identity and Secular Pilgrimage

by Carole Cusack

With Justine Digance in Sport and Society, Vol. 12, No. 7, September 2009, pp. 876-889 (reprinted in Kristine Toohey and Tracy Taylor (eds), Australian Sport: Antipodean Waves of Change, London and New York, Routledge, 2011)

As a sporting event, the annually staged Melbourne Cup horse race (‘the Cup’) mesmerises the entire Australian nation... more As a sporting event, the annually staged Melbourne Cup horse race (‘the Cup’) mesmerises the entire Australian nation on the first Tuesday in November, demanding national reverence and devotion as befitting a religious festival. The Cup, which is a long-held Australian sporting tradition, provides local Melbournians, and a plethora of interstate and international tourists, with an opportunity to pay homage to many demigods. Some of these are site-specific to this Australian event (such as particular horses and individuals connected with horseracing) whilst others are more germane to postmodern consumer society. Australia is a notably secular country, its convict origins contrasting strikingly with the Pilgrim Fathers of America, and America’s subsequent notable religiosity among contemporary western nations. Moreover, sport, gambling and drinking, notably profane activities, have been central to Australian self-understanding since white settlement in 1788. Some have boldly suggested that, if horse-racing is actually a religion, then it is no doubt proper ‘that the day should be declared a public holiday.’ This article explores pilgrimage to the Melbourne Cup, commencing with a brief history of the Australian horse racing industry and the Cup itself, demonstrating its importance for Australian identity. This is followed by an exploration of various themes that make the Cup a pilgrimage-like sporting event. The final section explores the characteristics of postmodern spirituality, and demonstrates that apparently secular events such as the Melbourne Cup can take on religio-spiritual significance for modern spiritual seekers.

To Err in their Ways: The Attribution Biases of the New Atheists

by Amarnath Amarasingam

The term ‘‘new atheism’’ has been given to the recent barrage of antireligion and anti-God books written by Richard... more The term ‘‘new atheism’’ has been given to the recent barrage of antireligion and anti-God books written by Richard Dawkins (2006), Sam Harris (2004, 2008), Christopher Hitchens (2007), Daniel Dennett (2006), and others. This paper contends that one of the fundamental arguments put forth by the new atheists – that religion poisons everything or that religion is responsible formuch of the evil in the world – falls victim to one of the best established theories of interpersonal and intergroup relations in social psychology: the fundamental attribution error. Insights gleaned from social psychology are especially useful for critiquing the new atheism. Instead of simply arguing that the new atheists ‘‘over-generalize,’’ social psychological studies on the nature of individual and group attribution provide the tools needed to launch a more substantive critique.

Patriotism, Secularism, and State Shintō: D.C. Holtom’s Representations of Japan

by Avery Morrow

Published in Wittenberg University East Asian Studies Journal, vol. 36 (2011)

This paper explores the ideology of religious studies with respect to early 20th century studies of Japan. Since 1945,... more This paper explores the ideology of religious studies with respect to early 20th century studies of Japan. Since 1945, “State Shintō” has been defined in academicliterature as a state religion which was enforced by the Japanese government froman undetermined date after the Meiji Restoration until it was disestablished by theAllied Occupation. In fact, the Japanese government took concrete steps to separatetheir patriotic ceremonies from religion. Our  current definition of the term “State Shintō” was produced by the religious scholar D.C. Holtom.