Blurb:

“Secular” and “religious” are, by definition, both related and in opposition to each other as “secular” is generally used to mean “not religious.” How, then, can we speak of Jews (presumably practitioners of Judaism, a religion) as secular? Jewishness, however, has always been complicated and defies simple categorization as religious tradition. Many people—and the number seems to be growing—see themselves as both Jewish and atheist, agnostic, or simply secular. This chapter explores the reasons why this phenomenon is not the oxymoron it may appear to be and is instead an outgrowth of the multifaceted nature of Jewishness.