Arts & Culture
Anthropology of Religion and Secularism in Modern Societies
Quick fact
Anthropologists have found that secularism is not simply the absence of religion but a culturally constructed system with its own rituals, beliefs, and sacred objects – such as the veneration of the nation or the 'invisible hand' of the market.
Why this is interesting
You might think modern societies have left religion behind – but why do people still flock to stadiums, wait in line for new phones, and turn political rallies into secular rituals?