210114 SE M5 a: European Union and Europeanisation (2013W)

This seminar will discuss the political and legal form of the relationship between the state and religious communities in selected European countries and at the level of the EU institutions. On the EU level, we deal with the background and content of Article 17 of the Lisbon Treaty. Then we deal with state-church relations in different member states (in particular in Central and Eastern Europe) and look at one or two policy areas where the various regulations may be compared (eg religious education or pastoral care in prisons and military). The aim of the course is to introduce students to the field of politics of religion, teach them to identify relevant issues and to discuss democracy-related questions in relation to religion and secularity, starting from practical examples.