The Conflicts of Religion and Secularism: From Europe to Africa

Abstract

Secularism has not achieved complete sway even in Western Europe where it sprouted in modern times; yet it is making inroads into other parts of the world through its various promises and allurements of freedom. On the other hand, theocratic absolutism and religious fundamentalism may not have come under serious and open questioning in some parts of the world, but there are subterranean currents of discontent even in the most absolute of theocratic states. A while ago, secularism seemed to be sweeping Western Europe clean of all religious tendencies particularly in matters of state and government. Certain religious states of the world have also sustained a façade of immunity from the waves of secularist orientation, pluralist constitution or independent thought. However, recent developments show that neither secularism nor religion has achieved such absolute and exclusive dominance anywhere. Indeed, rather than instance of untrammeled prevalence, the reality is a growing eruption of the religious sentiment in the secular state and of the secular sentiment in the religious state. The relations are also becoming more invasive by the day. This paper is Part One of a two-part study of the relations of secularism and religions in our world today. This first part focuses on the conflicts of secularism and religion that started in Europe and has been transferred to Africa as part of the Euro-African export. Using the methods of analysis and dialogics, the paper examines the modern origins, concept and claims of secularism and raises the questions: How is secularism faring in Africa? what matters are arising therefrom?