Religious Studies

By integrating an in-depth study of religion into academic education, this course aims to bridge the gap between scientific training and reflection on the fundamental questions of existence. By addressing the relationship between religion and politics in Western history, it also aims to shed light on current issues concerning the role and place of religion in our societies.

This course will consist of three main parts.

The first part will be devoted to religious meaning and the religious phenomenon as a whole. Among other things, it will show the extent to which the religious dimension goes beyond adherence or non-adherence to an institutional religion.

The second part will present the major debates surrounding the question of God, addressing in particular the question of evil and the various theories of the emergence of the religious phenomenon (in particular Feuerbach, Marx, and evolutionary reductionism). Attention will be given to the link with the ethical dimension of existence.

The third part will examine the relationship between politics and religion as it has evolved in Western Europe. After a historical overview, the course will focus on the issue of human rights and religious freedom, as well as the pre-political foundations of the democratic state. Based on the dialogue established in 2004 between philosopher Jürgen Habermas and Cardinal (and future Pope) Joseph Ratzinger, we will discuss how religion and democracy can support each other. The example of the encyclical Laudato Si (2015), devoted to ecological challenges, will illustrate (time permitting) this possible complementarity between religious approaches and social issues.