Conference Announcement
Fifth Interreligious Relations and Ecumenical Issues (IREI) Conference
Secular Society and Religious Presence:
Religion-State Relations in Historical and Contemporary Perspectives
November 7-10, 2018, University of Bern
A society is secular when its socio-political organisation and its religious
authorities are distinct and separate from one another. But that does not mean there is no
relationship between them. Western European secular states emerged within a twofold context of
affirming diversity: in matters of belief and religious identity, and in the body politic. This
affirmation contrasted with preceding contexts of societal uniformity, where there was only one form
of political expression and a single religious identity and, importantly, that each inferred the
other, necessarily.
As modernity and secularity advanced, so the contemporary context emerged of a state having multiple
religious and political identity options within it, resulting in a variety of religion-state
relational modus operandi. These included national State Churches (e.g. Denmark), states
that officially privileged a select group of Churches or Church (e.g. Germany; England; Swiss
Cantons such as Bern, Zürich & Vaud), and states that pursued the separation of political and
religious identity (e.g. France; Swiss Cantons such as Geneva & Neuchatel).
The emergence of European secular societies was marked by the advocacy of tolerant appreciation, if
not also affirmation, of the value of diversity-in-unity as the peaceable alternative to any imposed
uniformity. National belonging became the common point of reference, holding religious diversities
together in the context of shared citizenship.
However, today the issue of religion-state relations is not as settled as perhaps was only recently
assumed. On the one hand, increasing diversities of Christian identity are present in many
societies; on the other hand, there is also the presence of all the major world religions virtually
everywhere, as well as many other religious traditions, beliefs and identities, or none. In light of
this, our fifth IREI conference will address the relation of religion and state within secular
society. It will explore a range of contemporary issues as well as draw on historical studies.
Topics will encompass a focus on practical issues in the context of Switzerland and Europe more
generally, as well as address more general theoretical issues, including:
- Changes to Landeskirche contexts & laws [with cross-Cantonal comparison & conversations]
- Change and Adjustment for the Landeskirchen: the loss of hegemonic privilege; the
challenge of new modus operandi within secular society
- Challenges facing the dominant religious (Christian) culture which is declining / fragmenting
- The presence of immigrant Christian communities / Churches [intra-religious diversity]
- The presence of immigrant other religious communities [multi-religious diversity]
- The presence of variant identities & communities of specific other religions [intra-religious diversity]
- Interreligious engagement as a cross-religion modus vivendi within secular society
- Religious and Interreligious engagement with secular society
- Theology in the Public Square within a secular & multi-faith context: problems and prospects
The conference will include open public lectures and discussions as well as sessions
for academic papers and scholarly exchange. It will include scholars and officials from Switzerland
as well as scholars from other European countries and from further afield.
Programme Outline - tbc
Wednesday, 7 November Swiss Programme – Evening Public
Lecture(s)
Thursday, 8 November 10:00 – 17:15
Swiss programme: The new religious landscape as a
cause of new challenges regarding the Swiss cantonal policies on religion.
Friday, 9 November 08.45 – 17.45
Academic programme: Plenary & student
session
Conference Dinner 19:45
Saturday, 10 November 09:30 – 12:30
Academic programme: Plenary & student session
(if required)
Conference Organization: Prof Dr Angela Berlis, Prof Dr Dr Douglas Pratt and Pfr Dr
Matthias Inniger (Canton Bern), with the support of Prof Dr Dr Paul Weller (Coventry, Derby &
Oxford Universities), and others of the Institut für Christkatholische Theologie, University of
Bern, Switzerland.
*********************************
Academic Programme – Call for Papers
The organizers welcome expressions of interest and offers of papers for the Academic programme.
Papers are invited that examine any aspect of the place and role of religion(s) within contemporary
everyday secular society and from historical perspectives. All suggestions and offers will be
carefully considered.
Academic Programme Format: Primarily the presentation of short papers (20-25
minutes), allowing time for discussion, to be given in plenary session, together with opportunity
for small group meetings in respect to one or more ‘parallel’ paper sessions, depending
on the number of papers offered.
Languages: Primarily English, together with German. A prepared paper in German may
need to be supplied also in an English version (or summary); it is unlikely that the reverse will be
necessary.
Submission of proposals: Please submit your proposal, containing a title and
abstract (no more than half a page), by 15 July, 2018 to Professor (George)
Douglas Pratt: d.pratt@auckland.ac.nz copied (cc.) to
george.pratt@theol.unibe.ch. Advice of acceptance will be made by 1 September
2018.
With collegial regards,
Angela Berlis and Douglas Pratt
Conference Convenors