New Books in British Studies J. Barton Scott, "Slandering the Sacred: Blasphemy Law and Religious Affect in Colonial India" (U Chicago Press, 2023)
Jan 2, 2026
J. Barton Scott, an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto and author of 'Slandering the Sacred,' delves into colonial India's blasphemy law, Section 295A, and its complex effects on free speech and religion. He examines the evolution of this law and its implications for contemporary debates on secularism and hate speech. Scott challenges the conventional view of 295A, framing it as a proto-hate speech statute rather than merely a blasphemy law. His insights reveal how colonial legal innovations influenced modern regulatory approaches to religious expression.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
295A Frames Injurious Speech, Not Blasphemy
- Section 295A addresses injurious speech by criminalizing acts that outrage religious feelings rather than traditional blasphemy.
- The law reflects enduring dilemmas about regulating harmful speech that echo into today's debates over hate speech and cancel culture.
295A’s Chilling Effect on Scholarship
- Section 295A still shapes scholarship and public discourse about Hinduism, producing a discipline-wide caution.
- High-profile cases like Wendy Doniger's show the law's chilling effect on academic work.
Secularism’s Two Faces
- Secularism contains a dual nature: a promise of freedom and a regulatory impulse to map and manage religion.
- Scott argues the regulatory face often shapes how states actually govern religious life.