Broken Altars: Secularist Violence in Modern History | Tal Howard

In this episode of The UpWords Podcast, host Dan Hummel welcomes historian Tal Howard to discuss his latest book, Broken Altars: Secularist Violence in Modern History (Yale University Press, 2025). The conversation explores the complex relationship between secularism and violence, offering a global perspective that challenges simplistic narratives about religion and modernity.

Topics Covered:

·     Tal Howard’s academic background and teaching at Valparaiso University

·     Definitions and historical development of “religion” and “secularism”

·     Three types of secularism: passive, combative, and eliminationist

·     Case studies from France, Mexico, Turkey, the Soviet Union, and Albania

·     The ideological roots of secularist violence in Marxist-Leninist thought

·     Reflections on Charles Taylor’s A Secular Age and the limits of philosophical frameworks

·     The importance of historical nuance in debates about religion and violence

Resources Mentioned:

·     Broken Altars by Tal Howard (Yale University Press, 2025)

·     Talal Asad’s work on religion and secularism

·     Ahmet Kuru’s comparative study of secularism

·     Previous Upwards episode with Tal Howard on interreligious dialogue (2021)