Summary

On Friday, 1 June 2012 the UvA played host to a public symposium titled ‘Religion Under Pressure? Freedom, Fear and Conflict’.  Jointly organised by the Religious Studies research group of the UvA and the journal Religie en Samenleving, the symposium aimed to gain a deeper insight into the the changing position of religion in Europe.

The Netherlands has a long tradition of religious freedom, yet recent years have seen religious prerogatives increasingly being challenged. Within the political realm, issues like ritual slaughter, freedom of education, prohibition of blasphemy and the permissibility of religious clothing have been vociferously debated. The state itself, in formulating policies on civil and minority rights, social cohesion and security, seems to be increasingly attempting to influence religious communities. Religious and secular groups are also becoming more alienated and opposed to one another.

As part of debating religion’s changing position in Europe, the symposium discussed, among else, several issues such as the state of religious freedom in the Netherlands, the possible coercion of religion, and the effects of this increasing pressure on society at large.

Speakers

• André Rouvoet (former leader of the Christian Union and Minister for Youth and Family)

• Paul Dekker (professor of Civil Society at the University of Tilburg)

• Gerard Wiegers (professor of Religious Studies at the University of Amsterdam)

• Tineke Nugteren (Indologist at the department of Religion Studies at the University of Tilburg)

• Bart Wallet (researcher of Jewish History at the University of Amsterdam)

• Markha Valenta (researcher of politics, culture and religion at the University of Amsterdam)

• Judith Frischman (professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Leiden)

• Martijn de Koning (researcher of Islamic Studies  at Radboud University)

• Sipco Vellenga (sociologist of religion at the University of Amsterdam)

• Ruard Ganzevoort (professor of Applied Theology at the VU University Amsterdam)

• Beatrice de Graaf (professor of Conflict and Security in Historical Perspective at the University of Leiden)

• George Harinck (professor of History at the VU University Amsterdam)

Contact details

For more information about the symposium ‘Religion Under Pressure? Freedom, Fear and Conflict’, please contact

The Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis
Spuistraat 210 (room 113)
1012 VT Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Email: asca-fgw@uva.nl