La religion, objet juridique non identifié ? Approches comparées des opérations de droit et de ses effets sur le religieux

Abstract

Over the last two decades, public discussions on religion, whether national, supranational or international, have emerged increasingly in the juridical arena (courts, tribunals and parliaments). This movement can be observed in North American and European contexts, as well as in North African and Middle-Eastern countries. This special section aims to investigate the following issues from a comparative and interdisciplinary perspective: (1) The legitimacy of law, when used as an objective tool, to participate in the interpretation of religion; (2) The distributive effects of this process of interpretation, through its generation of definitions and assessment of the legitimacy of religion, in public and social life. The reflection on the centrality of law in the management of religion is a call for innovative theoretical and empirical research which focuses on the ways various actors engage in situations involving religion (participation, reaction, contestation, etc.).