Description
Book SynopsisWhy has secularism faced such challenges in the Middle East and in Lebanon in particular? In light of dominating headlines about the spread of sectarianism and the so-called death of Arab secularism, Mark Farha addresses the need for a thorough examination of the history of secular thought and practice in the region. By offering a comprehensive, systematic account of the underlying ideological, socio-economic, and political factors involved, Farha provides a new understanding of the historical roots of secularism as well as the potential causes for the continued resistance a fully deconfessionalized state faces both in Lebanon and in the region at large. Drawing on a vast corpus of primary and secondary sources to examine the varying political parties and ideologies involved, this book provides a fresh approach to the study of religion and politics in the Arab world and beyond.
Trade Review'The book combines a unique analysis of secularism and sectarianism as political phenomena and breaks new ground in the study of Lebanese history and politics.' P. Rowe, Choice
Table of ContentsForeword: why Lebanon? Why secularism?; Introduction and conceptual framework; 1. Definitions and genealogies of secularism; 2. Prototypes of secularism in Lebanon; 3. Waystations of the Lebanese Republic; 4. Socio-economic globalization and secularism 1990–2005; Conclusion: secularism and Lebanon in the eye of the sectarian storm.
