Secular and religious categories mediate identities and shape people’s experiences

Evidence

The categories of secular and religious are the ‘terms on which modern living is required to take place, and nonmodern peoples are invited to assess their adequacy. For representations of “the secular” and the “religious” in modern and modernizing states mediate people’s identities, help shape their sensibilities, and guarantee their experiences.’ — Sherene Razack, Casting Out, 376

Categorization

• DEFINE: Establishes the conceptual framing: secular/religious are not neutral categories but mediating terms imposed on modern living.