S01E18 - The Secular Sacred Canopy: A Paradigm Revision in the Study of Secularization

In this article, scholars Galen Watts and Sarah Wilkins-Laflamme propose a significant revision to the secularization paradigm by introducing the concept of a secular sacred canopy. While traditional theories suggest that modernization simply erodes religious authority, the authors argue that advanced secular societies have actually developed their own cohesive cultural system rooted in scientific empiricism, naturalism, and romantic liberalism. This new framework shifts the analytical focus from individual beliefs to the institutionalized public scripts that grant moral and epistemic legitimacy in the modern West. By viewing secularism as a robust symbolic universe rather than a mere absence of religion, the researchers provide fresh explanations for the growth of nonreligion, the rise of individualized spirituality, and the emergence of right-wing populism. Ultimately, the text demonstrates that late-stage secularization involves a profound cultural transformation where secular ideals now function as the primary, taken-for-granted reality.Citation: Watts, Galen, and Sarah Wilkins-Laflamme. 2026. “The Secular Sacred Canopy: A Paradigm Revision in the Study of Secularization.” Sociological Theory 07352751261427015. doi:10.1177/07352751261427015.