September 01, 2010
St. John’s scenic Paris campus was the setting for Laïcité
in Comparative Perspective, the
Center for Law and Religion’s inaugural academic conference
held earlier this summer. Scholars from a cross-section of
universities in Europe and the United States came together for a
lively roundtable discussion and debate on religious liberty in
France, the United States, and other countries. The
participants were:
Photo Gallery
Conference Program
Douglas Laycock, the Yale Kamisar Collegiate Professor of Law at
the University of Michigan Law School, opened the conference with a
compelling keynote on American Religious Liberty, French
Laïcité, and the Veil. Referring to the American and French
approaches to religious liberty as “distant cousins,” he argued
that the divergence from common roots results from cultural and
historical differences.
The Conference continued with two panels. The first addressed
current issues in laïcité − the French model of church-state
relations − including the proposed ban on burqas in public places,
the existing ban on Islamic headscarves and other conspicuous
religious symbols in France’s public schools, and the rise of
militant secularism in the country. The second panel compared
laïcité with church-state relations in other countries, including
Spain and the United States.
The high-quality presentations sparked substantive and
enlightening roundtable exchanges. Participants fully engaged
each other’s ideas with respect and honesty, offering a range of
perspectives. For example, while some favored a ban on conspicuous
religious symbols in public schools, others argued that the ban
infringed on religious freedom and questioned its necessity. “This
was more than just a robust academic dialogue,” Dean Simons noted.
“It was a highly informed exploration of real world issues of
religious expression that impact the daily lives of people
throughout the world – from the smallest villages to the largest
cities to our own St. John’s community.”
“This event was a perfect way to inaugurate the Center for Law and
Religion,” said
Professor Movsesian, the Center’s Director. “One of our main
goals is to advance St. John’s
Vincentian mission by promoting open dialogue on law and
religion around the world. Studying laïcité in a comparative way is
entirely consistent with that mission. Our exchanges were candid,
sometimes even provocative. We’re going to publish the Conference
proceedings in a forthcoming issue of the
Journal of Catholic Legal Studies and post video clips on our
website. This archive will be a valuable resource for students and
faculty who want to gain insight into important issues involving
religious liberty.”
Established in 2010, the Law School’s Center for Law and Religion
provides a forum for the study of law and religion from domestic,
international and comparative perspectives. In addition to hosting
academic conferences and speakers from academia and public life, it
also coordinates the Law School’s law and religion curriculum and
promotes dialogue among scholars with different viewpoints, both
religious and non-religious.
For more information on the Center, its
Fall 2010 programs and other activities, please contact
Professor Movsesian at movsesim@stjohns.edu.