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Research and higher education

Education in the law of religions

In France, the expression "law of religion" refers to a number of disciplines. On the European level, the "European law of religions" comprises the law of religion of the Member States of the (...)

In France, the expression "law of religion" refers to a number of disciplines.
On the European level, the "European law of religions" comprises the law of religion of the Member States of the European Union and the law of the European Convention on Human Rights (CEDH). The "comparative law of religions" makes a comparative evaluation of the legal status of religious denominations in each one of the Member States of the EU.
On a national level, the law of religion analyses the perception of the French law over the religions.
Finally, within the framework of religious denominations, the interest is in the organisation and the internal legal system of the different religions. This refers to the "internal law of religions", that is, the canon law, the Muslim law, etc.

There are few institutions offering specific courses on the law of religions:

Montpellier
the University offers a graduate course in Law and religion

Paris
Jean Monnet Institute of the University of South-Paris XI (Université de Paris-Sud XI) offers a Master’s Degree in Fundamental and Applied Law (Canon Law as a Major).

This European doctoral programme in canon law called GRATIANUS programme exists since October 1991. Beginning October 1998, it was entitled "State, Liberty and Religion in National and European Laws – The European doctoral programme in canon law" (Etat, libertés, religions en droits nationaux et européen - Programme européen de formation doctorale de droit canonique).

Strasbourg
The Faculty of Catholic Theology of the University of Strasbourg offers:
 a Master’s Degree Social and Human sciences, major Canon Law
 and a Master’s Degree Comparative European Law of religions.

These Master’s degrees are hosted by the research center DRES.

D 22 May 2015    AAnne-Laure Zwilling

Research

In France, public research is mostly done within the framework of universities and National Centre for Scientific Research (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS). In most cases, (...)

In France, public research is mostly done within the framework of universities and National Centre for Scientific Research (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS). In most cases, different existing research groups are linked to these two institutions.

Research in law and sociology of religions

 The research team of DRES works in the fields of law and social sciences of religions.
DRES, a joint research unit of the University of Strasbourg and CNRS gathers lawyers, political analysts, and specialists in social sciences of religions. Its mission is to make a European comparative study of the legal status and the institutional and cultural situation of religions and the sacred.

Research in law of religions

 The centre for Law and Religious Societies (Droit et Sociétés religieuses, DSR)
The Marie Curie GRATIANUS research programme run by the Jean Monnet Institut – Faculty of law, economics and management at the University of South-Paris XI is devoted to studying legal issues related to religion in Europe. Research is done on community law and the European law considering the religious context as perceived by the local law and legal status of religions in each one of the 15 member States of the European Union, internal of religions and the history of the canon law.

Research in sociology of religions

 The Group Society, Religions and Secularism (Groupe Sociétés, Religions, Laïcités, GSRL). The GSRL is interested in religious transformation and secularism in order to explain changes in the entire society.
 The Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of Religious Facts (Centre d’Etudes Interdisciplinaires des Faits Religieux, CEIFR)
CIEFR was established in 1993 at the School of Advanced Studies in Social Sciences. There are 22 main researchers of which 21 are associated researches and 4 are administrative members.
They research on the following themes: sociology, philosophy and anthropology of religious modernity; religion, States, Nations, international relations and transnationalisation of the sacred; history, sociology, political science, institutions, religious practices and power; transformation and formation of identities; sociology and anthropology of religious margins; minorities, protests, violence, utopia; forms of religious experiences.

The Universities of Aix-Marseille host several research centres on religion:
 Institute for Research and the Study of the Arab World and Islam (Institut de recherches et d’études sur le monde arabe et musulman, IREMAM)
IREMAM studies the Arab world and Islam in the perspective of different disciplines (history, linguistics, law, sociology, anthropology and political science). It is interested in the contemporary times, in situating and understanding the Arab world and Islam on a long time scale.
 The Centre Paul-Albert Fevrier, CNRS - Université de Provence, UMR 6125.
Le centre comporte notamment un programme de recherche mené en commun avec l’IREMAM sur les approches comparatistes des trois monotheismes.
 The Institut Interuniversitaire d’Etudes et de Culture Juives, Université de la Mediterranée.
Public conferences, education and research on Judaism, Jewish culture and Jewish civilisation.
 The Study Centre of the Monotheistic Religions (Laboratoire d’Etudes sur les Monothéismes)
This is the mother centre for three other centres: Study Centre of the Religions of the Book (Centre d’Études des religions du Livre, Director: Philippe Hoffmann), the New Gallia Judaica (Nouvelle Gallia Judaica, Director : Gilbert Dahan) and the Institute of Augustinian Studies (Institut d’Études Augustiniennes, Director : Jean-Claude Fredouille).

 The University of Lyon hosts a research centre on religion and secularism Institut Supérieur d’Etude des Religions et de la Laïcité.

 The Faculty of Protestant theology of the University of Strasbourg holds a research centre called Centre de sociologie des religions et d’éthique sociale (Centre of sociology of religion and social ethics).

Publications

In France, there exists a magazine dedicated to law of religions called the Canon Law Magazine, Revue de droit canonique and a magazine for the sociology of religion called the Archives of Social Sciences of Religion, Archives de Sciences Sociales de Religion.

Information

The Sociorel weblog provides information and news concerning social sciences of religion.

D 23 May 2015    AAnne-Laure Zwilling

Higher education in theology and science of religions

There are around 20 establishments offering theological education and science of religions at a university level in France. Most of them are private confessional higher learning institutions. 7 (...)

There are around 20 establishments offering theological education and science of religions at a university level in France.
Most of them are private confessional higher learning institutions. 7 are Catholic, meaning, 5 universities or Catholic institutes (Instituts catholiques) of Paris, Lyon, Lille, Toulouse, Angers, as well as the Jesuit Faculty of the Centre Sèvres and the Faculty Notre-Dame of the diocese of Paris. There are also 5 Protestant establishments namely, the Protestant Institute of Theology of Paris and Montpellier, the Free Faculty of Reformed Theology in Aix-en-Provence (Faculté libre de théologie réformée), the Adventist School of Theology at Salève, the Free Faculty of Evangelical Theology (Faculté libre de théologie évangélique) in Vaux-sur-Seine. Furthermore, there is St. Serge Institute of Orthodox Theology (Institut de théologie orthodoxe Saint-Serge), Russian Orthodox Seminary (Séminaire orthodoxe russe en France), and the Jewish Seminary (Séminaire israélite de France), all in Paris. There are several private institutions for Islam : the European institute of human sciences (l’Institut européen des sciences humaines) established in two places (Centre de Bouteloin in Saint-Léger en Fougeret and IESH de Paris in Saint-Denis, close to Paris), the Ghazali institute of the Great Mosque of Paris), and the French institute of Islamic studies and sciences (Institut français des études et sciences islamiques) in Boissy Saint-Léger.
In Alsace-Moselle, there are also 3 public establishments of higher learning whose principal mission is to teach both theology and the science of religions: the Catholic and the Protestant Faculty of Theology (Faculté de théologie catholique and Faculté de théologie protestante) which are affiliated to University of Strasburg, the Independent Centre of Religious Education and Pedagogy (Centre autonome d’enseignement et de pédagogie religieuse) affiliated to the Paul Verlaine University in Metz. Their presence in State universities is rendered possible by the local law.
Finally, there are 2 other public establishments of higher learning which offer a course in science of religions: the section of science of religions (section des sciences religieuses, 5th section) of the Practical School of Advanced Studies (École pratique des hautes études - EPHE) in Paris and the University of Aix-Marseille III which offers two Master’s programmes in religion.

D 28 January 2016    AAnne-Laure Zwilling

Education in sociology of religions

The sociology of religions is generally part of sociology or sometimes, political science since it does not stand as a programme on its own. However, some establishments have recently started to (...)

The sociology of religions is generally part of sociology or sometimes, political science since it does not stand as a programme on its own. However, some establishments have recently started to offer a Master’s programme in which the sociological approach of religions plays an important part:

Arras: The Institute of Study of religious facts (IEFR) of the Université d’Artois, Arras, offers a Master’s dregree in religious sciences, Sciences des religions et sociétés - Etude des faits religieux.

Bordeaux: The University Michel de Montaigne (Bordeaux 3) offers a master’s degree in Human and Social Sciences, label Philosophy, specialty Religions and societies.

Lyon:
 the University Lyon 2 Lumière, the University Lyon 3 and the Ecole normale supérieure de Lyon offer a master’s degree Sciences des religions et société

Paris: The Practical School for Higher Studies (Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, EPHE), together with the School of High Education in Social Sciences (Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences sociales, EHESS) offer a Master’s degree Sciences des religions et sociétés.

Strasbourg:
 the Faculty of History of the University of Strasbourg offers a master’s degree in sciences and law of religions, speciality "islamology : religion, law and society".
 the Faculty of Sociology of the University of Strasbourg offers a master’s degree in sociology Religions, Sociétés, Espace Public (ReSEP).

D 25 April 2019    AAnne-Laure Zwilling

Training in Secularism

In recent years, some universities have set up a university degree (diplôme d’université) in "laïcité" (secularism; see the Current debates of December 2015) : Aix, Institute of political (...)

In recent years, some universities have set up a university degree (diplôme d’université) in "laïcité" (secularism; see the Current debates of December 2015) :

 Aix, Institute of political studies (Institut d’études politiques)
Pluralité religieuse, droit, laïcité et sociétés

 Bordeaux
Droit, société et religion

 Lille 2
Religions et société démocratique

 Université de Lorraine
Religions, laïcité et inclusion sociale

 Lyon
Religion, liberté religieuse et laïcité
Université Lyon 3 and Université Catholique de Lyon, in collaboration with Institut Français de Civilisation Musulmane and Regional council of Muslims (Conseil Régional du Culte Musulman) Rhône-Alpes

 Université de Nantes
Droit, société et pluralisme religieux

 Montpellier, Faculty of Law and political sciences
Religions et société démocratique

 Paris
Institut catholique de Paris (first degree of this type, open in 2008)
Interculturalité, laïcité, religions

 Paris 1 Sorbonne
Connaissance de la laïcité

 Paris Sud
République et religions

 Strasbourg, Faculty of Law
Droit, société et pluralité des religions

 Strasbourg, Faculty of Catholic theology
DU Connaissances et pratiques de l’interreligieux

 Toulouse
Toulouse I Capitole
Droit et religions
Partnership Sciences Po Toulouse - Université Toulouse Jean Jaurès
Politique, religion, laïcité

Similar trainings also exist such as
 Sciences po Paris (Political science)
Certification Emouna, l’amphi des religions.

The full list of University diploma agreed for the training of DU authorized for the training of new paid chaplains is available on the internet (arrêté du 31 juillet 2017, completed in 2018.

D 25 April 2019    AAnne-Laure Zwilling

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