Secularism, colonialism and the Enlightenment: European toleration and the rise of fundamentalism in South Asia

Research hypotheses: the proposed research will build on three hypotheses that resulted from earlier research on the development of the liberal model of secularism and toleration: (1) The basic structure of this model fails to be neutral with regard to all religions, because it is conceptually dependent upon a Protestant framework, namely, the theology of Christian liberty and its U+2018two kingdomsU+2019.(2) The policy of religious toleration and neutrality of the British colonial state in India developed within this basic theological structure.(3) Hence, in colonial India, this model of secularism and toleration lies at the origin of the rise of Hindu fundamentalism. This leads me to new research questions and hypotheses.