'Sacred' and 'Secular': The Writings of Charles Taylor

This course examines the interplay between 'sacred' and 'secular' in three works by Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor. The works in question, all of which stem from Taylor's 1999 Gifford Lectures, are Varieties of Religion Today (2002), Modern Social Imaginaries (2004), and A Secular Age (2007). An introductory session will situate Taylor's writings in their historical context, four sessions will focus on the central claims of Varieties of Religion Today and of Modern Social Imaginaries, and seven sessions will discern the main lines of argument in what many regard as Taylor's magnum opus - A Secular Age. Interdisciplinary connections between these works will be highlighted, as will the theoretical and practical implications of Taylor's views. Special attention will be given to how Taylor's insights intercultural dialogue in both 'sacred' and 'secular' space.