Based on extensive archival research in Asia, Europe, and the United States this book suggests a new approach to interpreting and explaining secularism not as a Western ideology but as a distinct form of historical practice in 20th century global history that evolved at the interplay of local, national, and transnational dynamics.

Clemens Six is Assistant Professor for contemporary global history at the Department of History, University of Groningen, the Netherlands. His main research interests include religion and politics, the contemporary history of South and Southeast Asia, the history of North-South relations, and the global aid industry.

Introduction: secularism as historical practice

1. Traces of a transnational mindset: thinking secularism for the postcolonial era

2. Contesting urban space: places of worship, the secular state, and social disintegration in post-Partition Delhi

3. Prosecuting the 'non-secular': the conflict with the RSS in Delhi after Partition

4. Redefining secularism in the Cold War: Christian missionaries in Malaya's New Villages, 1948-1960

5. (Anti-)secularism and social struggle: Christian and Islamic groups during the anti-communist mass murder in Indonesia, 1965-1966

6. Religion and secular education in Java, Singapore, and India

Conclusions

Bibliography