Secular Assemblages

Book Description

In Secular Assemblages, Marek Sullivan presents a provocative reexamination of how secularization actually unfolded in Western thought, challenging readers to reconsider fundamental assumptions about reason, emotion, and spiritual understanding. Rather than accepting the conventional narrative that links secular thinking to pure rationalization, Sullivan reveals a more complex story where feeling, power dynamics, and cultural prejudices played central roles.

Drawing from major Enlightenment figures like Descartes, Montesquieu, and Diderot, Sullivan demonstrates how these influential thinkers actually sought to restore emotion's rightful place alongside reason, recognizing the inherent limitations of purely rational approaches to human experience. This insight offers valuable perspective for contemporary spiritual seekers navigating our current "postsecular" landscape, where rigid boundaries between sacred and secular continue to dissolve.

The book explores how Western perceptions of Eastern religions shaped secular thought, examining works like Voltaire's portrayal of Muhammad to reveal how emotional appeals and cultural stereotypes influenced supposedly objective philosophical discourse. Sullivan shows how Enlightenment thinkers used passionate rhetoric and nationalist sentiment to advance their ideas, particularly in their critiques of established religious authority.

For readers interested in understanding how spiritual and secular worldviews intersect, this scholarly work provides crucial historical context for today's ongoing conversations about religion, reason, and cultural identity. Sullivan's analysis illuminates the emotional undercurrents that have always flowed beneath seemingly rational secular frameworks.