To what extent was the evolution of secularism in South and Southeast Asia between the end of the First World War and decolonisation after 1945 a result of transimperial and transnational patterns? To capture the diversity of twentieth-century secularisms, Clemens Six explores similarities resulting from translocal networks of ideas and practices since 1918. Six approaches these networks via a framework of global intellectual history, the history of transnational social networks, and the global history of non-state institutions. Empirically, he illustrates his argument with three case studies: the reception of Atatürk’s reforms across Asia and the Middle East; translocal women’s circles in the interwar period; and private US foundations after 1945.
Clemens Six, Ph.D. (2003), is Associate Professor of Contemporary History at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. He has published monographs and articles on religion, politics, and secularism in Asia, including
Secularism, Decolonisation, and the Cold War in South and Southeast Asia (Routledge, 2018).
The Transnationality of the Secular Travelling Ideas and Shared Practices of Secularism in Decolonizing South and Southeast Asia
Clemens Six
Abstract Keywords Introduction: The Possibility of Global Secularism Studies
1 Transnational Discourses on Secularism
2 Social Networks for a Secular State
3 Circuits of Expertise and Geopolitics
4 Conclusions
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All interested in 20th century transnational history and the global history of religion, politics, and secularism.