This volume investigates the diverse and often contradictory ways that secularism is practiced, understood, and contested across various Asian societies. Editors Martijn van Beek and Nils Bubandt assemble a collection of anthropological studies that challenge the Western-centric assumption that secularism is a uniform or inevitable byproduct of modernization. By examining specific local contexts, the authors argue that secularism in Asia is not merely the absence of religion, but a complex, negotiated framework that interacts dynamically with spiritual traditions, state power, and political identity.

Scholars in the field of religious studies and anthropology identify this work as a critical intervention in the debate over global secularization. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which provides a rigorous foundation for understanding the nuanced political landscapes of contemporary Asia.