Record Details

Changing religious landscapes challenge confession-based state policies on religion

In die Skriflig

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Changing religious landscapes challenge confession-based state policies on religion
 
Creator Inniger, Matthias G. Vorster, Jacobus M. Rheeder, Riaan
 
Subject Theology; State Policy on Religion; State and Church changing religious landscapes, confession-based policy on religion, public peace, state neutrality, state (non-) recognition of religious communities, social potential of religious communities, Swiss Canton Bern.
Description In contrast to state-religion systems of separation, many European states have a confession-based policy on religion. This describes the relationship of the state to one or more preferred state-recognised religious confessions. State recognition, or preferential treatment of the chosen religious confessions, can occur in many variations. These preferred confessions are predominantly the (former) Christian state churches. Such policies date from a period when Christian state churches involved a major part of the population. In view of changing religious landscapes, traditional confession-based policies have developed an exclusive character. These policies include only chosen declining religious groups, while they exclude groups that have gained social relevance. Notwithstanding the new situation, many governments have hitherto failed to address the need for the adjustment of their policies on religion. Unadjusted policies are unsuitable to deal creatively with religious diversity in today’s society. Governments that treat religious communities differently come into conflict with state neutrality and religious peace. This article opens the door to a six-part study, arguing that confession-based state policies on religion should incline towards greater inclusiveness. It is in the state’s best interest to mobilise the positive potential of all religious-sociological groups. This article specifically focuses on the changes that are becoming apparent in today’s religious landscapes and how these changes challenge traditional confession-based policies. It lays the foundation for the subsequent articles as a case study and a new conceptual framework for a fair, progressive and peacebuilding policy on religion for the Swiss Canton Bern.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor Co-Authors: Prof Dr JM Vorster & Prof Dr AL Rheeder
Date 2020-02-27
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Survey
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/ids.v54i1.2527
 
Source In die Skriflig/In Luce Verbi; Vol 54, No 1 (2020); 10 pages 2305-0853 1018-6441
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://indieskriflig.org.za/index.php/skriflig/article/view/2527/6062 https://indieskriflig.org.za/index.php/skriflig/article/view/2527/6061 https://indieskriflig.org.za/index.php/skriflig/article/view/2527/6063 https://indieskriflig.org.za/index.php/skriflig/article/view/2527/6060
 
Coverage Europe Current situation in Europe Theology
Rights Copyright (c) 2020 Matthias G. Inniger, Jacobus M. Vorster, Riaan Rheeder https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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