Textual or expediential Secularism (An Examination)

Many scholars of religious studies hold that secularism includes a wide spectrum of outlooks and approaches from the strongest one, i.e. atheistic secularism, to less expressive models. The common aspect of these approaches is that they believe in the limited scope of religion to the minimum ground. The individual and social extensive consequences of this theory is obvious to every man of thought. Along with the Western thinkers, some Muslim intellectuals played a significant role in the circulation of this theory; they have resorted to arguments from both inside religion and outside. What demands more contemplation, however, is that some traditionalist religious intellectuals have acknowledged this theory. This point less scrutinized scientifically is a sort of secularism that denies political involvement of religion during major occultation by resorting to expedience or traditions from religion. This kind of secularism is normally known as textual or expediential secularism. This article examines the most important arguments of the two theories. Having criticized the content and related traditions, the author came to hold that the two approaches are invalid.