This volume investigates the conceptual validity and practical application of secularism within diverse global political frameworks. Rajeev Bhargava, a prominent political theorist, compiles a rigorous selection of contemporary scholarship to examine how secular principles function outside of Western historical contexts. The text argues that secularism is not a monolithic doctrine but a nuanced political arrangement that must account for minority rights and cultural pluralism.

Experts frequently cite this collection as a foundational resource for understanding the complexities of secularism in modern political theory. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which makes it a standard text for graduate-level political science and sociology curricula.