Research and higher education : France

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:

- 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 University of Strasbourg offers a Master’s Degree Social and Human sciences, major Canon Law.

This Master’s degree is hosted by the research center Prisme - Société, Droit et Religion en Europe.

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:

• Aix-en-Provence:
- the Faculty of Law and Political Science offers a 2 year Master’s programme in religion and Society in Europe and the Mediterranean area.
- the departement pf Middle Eastern studies of the Unité de Formation et de Recherche ERLAOS (Etudes Romanes, Latino-américaines, Orientales et Slaves) of the University of Provence (Aix-Marseille 1) offers a Master's degree in Arab, Semitic and Muslim Worlds (mondes arabe, musulman et sémitique).

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

• in Paris, the Practical School for Higher Studies (Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, EPHE) offers a Master’s degree in Science of Religions and Society in conjunction with the School of Higher Studies in Social Studies (Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, EHESS). A Master's degree in Sciences of Religions is also offered at the European Institute of Sciences of Religions (Institut européen en sciences des religions, IESR).

• in Strasburg,
- the University offers a Master’s degree in Protestant theology and religious sciences, specialty religious sciences
- the Faculty of law, economy and management offers a master's degree in sciences and law of religions", specialty "islamology : religion, law and society"

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 Society, Law and Religion in Europe, of the Centre for Politics, Religion, Institutions, Society and Transformation in Europe (Politique, Religion, Institutions, Sociétés: Mutations Européennes, PRISME) works in the fields of law and social sciences of religions.

The Society, Law and Religion in Europe research centre (Société, Droit et Religion en Europe, SDRE), 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 GSLR 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 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 observatory of Religions (observatoire des religions)

The Observatory works in sociology and anthropology of the religions, as well as in political and legal sciences. Its topics of studies are: Sociology and anthropology of religions through religious life on an international, national, and local scale; political sciences, sciences of ethics and law; compared public policies of the religious denominations.

- 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).

• 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.

Anne-Laure Zwilling