BuildingOurWholeSociety:
ReligionandCitizenshipatCanada’s150th
SaintPaulUniversity–Ottawa
May8–9,2017
Thepurposeofthisconferenceistoinquireintotherelationshipbetweenreligionand
citizenshipatthe150thanniversaryofconfederationinCanada.Thisinitiativebuildsupon
anongoingefforttofosteranewconversationaboutreligionandsecularisminCanadian
publicdiscourse,whichincludedpastconferencesatMcGillUniversityin2013andthe
UniversityofBritishColumbiain2015.Thesegatheringshavebroughttogethercivic
leaders,academics,publicservants,students,religiousleaders,lawyers,andengaged
citizenstotalkabouthowwecaninvigoratecivicparticipationthroughgreaterinclusion.In
2017,wewillmeetagaininOttawatoexpandandenrichtheconversation.
Atthetimeofconfederation,CanadawasapredominantlyChristiancountry.Mostcitizens
wereChristians,andthespiritualityandreligionofAboriginalpeopleswereexcludedfrom
mainstreamsociety.Today,however,weareoneofthemostdiversesocietiesintheworld.
MostCanadianscontinuetoprofesssomekindofreligiousbelief,andwehavesignificant
populationsofeveryworldreligion,aswellaslargenumbersofatheists,secularhumanists,
andthespiritual-but-not-religious.Whataretheimplicationsofthisunprecedented
diversityforcitizenshipinCanada?Howdoweadvanceasenseofunityandparticipationin
ourcollectivelife?
Formanydecades,thedominantframeworkforpromotingsocialunityhasbeenexclusive
secularism.Thisversionofsecularismaimstoremovereligionfrompubliclifebyinsisting
thatitremainaprivateaffair.Publicdiscourse,socialaction,andpoliticsarepolicedfor
mentionofreligion;influentialcriticssilenceeventhemostreasonableandconstructive
interventionsbyinsistingthatsecularismmeansasocietyfreefromreligion.Overt
expressionsofreligiousidentityaremetwitheverydayprejudiceandpublicdenunciations.
Anexclusivesecularismpromotesunityattheexpenseofmarginalizingmanyactiveand
engagedcitizens.Whatisthealternative?Isitpossibletohaveaninclusivesecularism,
whichprovidesspacefordiversesecularandreligiousviewpointsandpracticestobe
welcomedintothepublicspherewithoutprejudice?Canweadvancebeyondsimple
tolerationofdifferencestorespectforthediversityofourcitizenry?Isthereaspecialrole
forreligiouscritiqueindefenseofthepoorandvulnerable?Howcanwedevelopnewways
oftalking,thinkingandactingtogetherthatfosteramorematurecollectivelife?
Tobeacitizenmeanstobeafullmemberofsociety,witheverythingthisentails:legal
status,accesstorights,andsharinginacommonidentity.Inacommunityofcitizens,the
healthofthesocialbodydependsupontheactiveparticipationofitsmembers.Citizensnot
onlyvote,theyalsoorganizeserviceprojects,mentoryoungerpeople,carefortheir
environment,attendtotheneedsofthepoor,andvoicetheirconcernstopoliticalleaders.
Citizens,throughtheirinteractionandconversations,generatethecultureandethosthat
formsthebackgroundtopoliticallife.However,powerfulsocialforcesalsoactagainstthe
developmentofanactivecitizenrybypromotingapathy,distractionandcynicism.
Advertisingandmasscultureexaltmaterialconsumptiontotherankofavirtue,andan
obsessionwithtrivialmattersdivertsourattentionfromourresponsibilitiestoone
another.Howcanwetranscendthesedestructiveforcestoworkforthecommongood?
Whatsourcesofpersonalmotivationandsocialcapitalcanwecallupontostrengthenthe
Canadiancitizenry?
Historically,andcurrently,religionhasbeenapowerfulresourceforstrengthening
citizenship.Manyreligiousteachingshelptoconnecttheindividualwithasenseofsocial
purpose,andencourageserviceandsacrificeforthecommongood.Whatcanwelearnfrom
thesetraditionsofthought,whichdescribethequalitiesofavirtuousperson,the
characteristicsofagoodsociety,andthevaluesofpublicinstitutions?Religious
communitiesalsohelptodeveloptherelationshipsoftrust,reciprocity,andcooperation–
buildingsocialcapitalandpromotingcollectiveaction.HowcanwedrawuponCanada’s
religiousdiversityasaresourceforstrengtheningcivicengagement,ratherthanasathreat
tosocialunity?
Wemustalsorecognize,however,thatreligioncanunderminecitizenship.Religiousgroups
canbecomeinward-lookingcommunities,moreconcernedwiththewelfareoftheirown
membersthantheprogressofsociety.Atbest,thispatternoflifefostersindifferencetocivic
engagement,withtheprimaryconcernamongmembersbeingthewell-beingofcoreligionists.Atitsworst,thispatternleadstoprejudiceandhostilitytooutsiders.
Furthermore,religionthatisobsessedwithesotericbeliefsanddoesnotincludeafull
appreciationforscienceandrationalthoughtcanleadtoskewedperceptionsaboutsociety,
insomecasesleadingtoradicalismandviolentextremism.Wealsocannotignore
destructivepatternsofreligiouslifethatsystematicallysubjugatewomenanddiminish
theirparticipationinthelifeofsociety.Howdowedistinguishbetweenthosekindsof
religiousthoughtandactionthatstrengthencitizenshipfromthosethatundermineit?How
shouldwetalkaboutthenegativeaspectsofreligiouspractice,withoutstimulating
prejudiceandhate?
AtCanada’s150thanniversaryofconfederation,weneedtodiscoveranewwayoftalking,
thinkingandactingtogethersothatCanada’sreligiousdiversitycanbecomearesourcefor
collectiveadvancement.Thisconferencewillconvenearangeoffreshperspectivesfrom
religiousandseculartraditionsofthought,whichwillhelpustothinkabouthowtobuild
ourwholesocietyandpromoteamoreactiveCanadiancitizenry.