“Provocative and arresting, this is a work of subtle imagination and searching intellect. It is finely written, scrupulously researched, and persuasively argued.”
—Elleke Boehmer, University of Oxford
“Signals a postsecular turn in postcolonial theory and criticism.”
—Graham Huggan, University of Leeds; writing in Modern Fiction Studies [PDF]
“Most recent writings on the crisis of secularism attempt to fix the dominant idea of secularism and offer versions meant to withstand real-life politics. Manav Ratti, not convinced that a retooled version of secularism will save us, does the groundwork for those forced to enter the postsecular world. This book is a major contribution that cannot be ignored.”
—Ashis Nandy, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies
“Written evocatively, The Postsecular Imagination is a search for an imagination beyond the binaries of religion and secularism, taking a balanced, centrist position. This book deserves to be closely read, in text and in spirit.”
—The Hindu [PDF]
“One of the most wide-ranging studies of postsecularism with particular attention to the field of literature.”
—Anthony Paul Smith, La Salle University; writing in Reading the Abrahamic Faiths
“Steering clear of both outright rejection and uncritical assertion, it offers a calm, objective, highly readable analysis of questions of faith, pragmatism, and reason. Beyond its argument, the prose is elegant and engaging.”
—Manoj Das (1934–2021), Padma Bhushan; Sahitya Akademi Fellow
“The Postsecular Imagination is an important book in a time of need: clear, concise, and full of insight for navigating a public sphere polarized by cynicism and half-truths. Manav Ratti's presentation to a full house of inquisitive minds was one of the highlights of the past number of years and we cannot say enough about his charm and poise in front of an audience. The Postsecular Imagination deserves a wide readership."
—Neil Wilson, Ottawa International Writers Festival
“Original in showing how secular tenets shape belief while still recognizing belief's relevance; shares much in common with Saba Mahmood, Achille Mbembe, and Talal Asad. Recommended.”
—Choice [PDF]
“A nuanced analysis of how literature generates new ways of interpreting the limits of religion and secularism. Ratti’s book is essential reading for those interested in secularism, religion, postsecularism, and postcolonial theory: lucidly written, carefully argued, and rich in insight. It shows how literature tests unstable concepts such as the postsecular and opens new horizons; its demonstration of the indeterminacy and creativity at the heart of the postsecular is among the book’s many strengths.”
—Postcolonial Studies [PDF]
“A major addition to contemporary scholarship on postsecularism, this is a significant book for those interested in the study of issues related to religion and secularism.”
—Wasafiri [PDF]
“Raises the stakes for both scholarly and literary interventions: theoretically nimble and insightful. Nuanced, vibrant, and stylistically elegant, it is grounded in rigorous knowledge of geopolitical realities across India, Europe, Sri Lanka, and beyond. Ratti’s work stands out in the field as an indispensable way forward.”
—Postcolonial Text [PDF]
“Timely—auspicious even—this well-researched and theoretically sophisticated work advances debates on secularism by offering a critical vocabulary that mediates between the secular and the religious. A major intervention, it is provocative in its call to move beyond conventional dichotomies, and its sensitive, nuanced readings will spur further scholarship. Ratti renews the theoretical bases of postcolonial literary studies and brings them into conversation with South Asian Studies.”
—South Asian Review [PDF]
“Daring, fine, and nuanced, Manav Ratti’s book is a pioneering monograph that probes the potentials and limits of religious and secular thought in India. Meticulous in its attention to context and politics and scrupulously researched, it moves with assurance across social and cultural criticism, political theory, and literary analysis to show how literature is the site where the postsecular takes shape. Most impressively, it asks the uncomfortable questions we often avoid, compelling a rethinking of values too easily taken for granted.”
—Journal of Postcolonial Writing [PDF]
“By bringing literary texts into dialogue with the recent theoretical work on postsecularism, Ratti offers insightful readings that not only challenge rigid religious, racial, and national categories that dominate our modern world, but provides hope for imagining identities and practices that can circumvent them.”
—Peace Review [PDF]
“Manav Ratti’s study looks beyond literary criticism to confront one of today’s most urgent cultural questions: the increasingly embattled relation between secularism and religion, often further inflamed by nationalism. His readings are illuminating and sensitive, inviting readers to (re)discover the works he treats. The book is notably free of ideological partisanship and displays a commanding grasp of contemporary literary and cultural theory.”
—Entangled Religions [PDF]
“Ratti’s literary analyses not only support his argument but prove a deep understanding of the spaces his authors inhabit. The Postsecular Imagination refocuses attention on the need for a new theoretical tool adequate to a world riven by conflict between extreme religious and secular archetypes. Though grounded in South Asia, this study should be considered by scholars working across other literary spaces."
—Synergy [PDF]