Afterword : Nepalese Secularism in Comparative Perspective

Book chapter


Bhargava, Rajeev. (2016). Afterword : Nepalese Secularism in Comparative Perspective. In Religion, Secularism and Ethnicity in Contemporary Nepal pp. 428-460 Oxford University Press.
AuthorsBhargava, Rajeev
Abstract

Nepal has passed through dramatic changes in the last thirty years, including a Maoist revolution, the transition from monarchy to republic, three new constitutions, the declaration of secularism, and intense globalization. What happens to religion under conditions of rapid social and political change? Is religion still a valid means of coping with the world? How do citizens of the former Hindu kingdom understand secularism? How do changing public festivals reflect and/or create new group identities? Is religion becoming more privatized? Is the link to healing practices transforming or not, and if so, how? Is the gap narrowing between the cultural worlds of town and country?

In an attempt to answer these questions, twelve anthropologists and ethno-Indologists of Nepal provide case studies focused on secularism, secularization, individualism, spirit possession, animal sacrifice, the role of state functionaries in festivals, the creation of new ethnic festivals, clashes and synergies between Maoism and Buddhism, and conversion to Christianity. In his Afterword Rajeev Bhargava analyses the experience of Nepal in comparative perspective and asks whether Nepal is finding its own solution to the conundrum of secularism.

KeywordsNepal; religion; practise; secularism
Page range428-460
Year01 Jan 2016
Book titleReligion, Secularism and Ethnicity in Contemporary Nepal
PublisherOxford University Press
Place of publicationIndia
Edition2nd
ISBN9780199467723
Open accessPublished as non-open access
Research or scholarlyScholarly
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Print01 Jan 2016
Publication process dates
Deposited17 Jan 2024
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https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/90129/afterword-nepalese-secularism-in-comparative-perspective

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