Rethinking the Secular: Critical Perspectives on Religion, Education, and Culture
The interdisciplinary research group Rethinking the Secular was established in 2024 and facilitates a broad conversation at NLA and beyond. We explore "the secular" as a complex, unstable, and imaginary construct rooted in religious language, history, and debates.
From 2025 onwards, our focus has shifted towards the intersection of secularity, religion, and technology – especially the emergence of AI-based models and agents.
Members
The group consists of eight internal members, including three professors and one research fellow, as well as twelve external members, nine of whom are international. Our primary fields of expertise include religious studies, literary studies, and the history of ideas.
Activities
The group holds monthly digital seminars and gathers once a year for a research symposium.
Contribution to the Ph.D. program
We offer an intellectual space to examine the grand narrative of secular modernity in light of religion, literature, and technology. For NLA's Ph.D. program in social responsibility and education, the group contributes critical insights into the role narratives play in social action, value formation, and technological transformation.