Laïcité in France: How the Fight Against ’Islamist Separatism’ Contributes to the Dechristianizaiton of France

13:00 - 14:30 - VeranstalterIn. Zentrum für Südosteuropastudien Veranstaltungsort: Online Teilnahme Termin vormerken The goal of the lecture series is to grasp and compare reproductions of religion in Southeast European space as a social phenomenon. This will be accomplished by mediating an understanding for the relationship between religion, politics and society based upon the example of contemporary Southeast Europe. It will be illustrated through inputs from current research in the field and the inclusion of approaches from historiography, anthropology, sociology, and political science. Laïcité (strict separation between State and Chruch) was born from a political struggle in the XIX century between the Republic and the Catholic Church. While the growing secularization of the French society in the second half of the XX century led to a dechristianization of the country, the rise of Islam as a religion entailed a state policy of enforcing a stricter "laïcité", defined in terms of culture and values. But the paradoxical consequences is that this recent offensive is undermining any religion, including what is left of christianity.