Singapore’s secularism and its pragmatic approach to religion

Singapore embraces a form of secularism that provides the state with the authority to unilaterally decide on where to draw the lines between religion, politics, and state. This paper presents examples that dominate Singapore’s approach to religion and governance. Given the centrality of religion in...

全面介绍

书目详细资料
主要作者: Mohammad Alami Musa
其他作者: S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
格式: Journal Article
语言:English
出版: 2023
主题:
在线阅读:https://hdl.handle.net/10356/168778
实物特征
总结:Singapore embraces a form of secularism that provides the state with the authority to unilaterally decide on where to draw the lines between religion, politics, and state. This paper presents examples that dominate Singapore’s approach to religion and governance. Given the centrality of religion in the lives of Singaporeans, this article highlights how the state does not cast aside the social significance of religion but remains engaged with it. The model of secularism in Singapore affords the state the flexibility to easily switch between two broad types of secularism, namely a ‘soft secularism’, a religion-friendly variety, and a ‘hard secularism’, which the state employs as a tool for political control and management of society as it wrestles with existential challenges to ensure its continued survival.