Religion in Public Spaces

Silvio Ferrari is Professor of Canon Law, University of Milan and President, International Consortium for Law and Religion Studies, Italy. His research interests are in the areas of Church and State in Europe; Comparative law of religions, and Vatican-Israel relations. He has published widely on these and related areas. Sabrina Pastorelli is research fellow at the Institute of International Law - section of Ecclesiastical and Canon Law - University of Milan, Faculty of Law. She is also a member of the Groupe Sociétés, Religions, Laïcités (GSRL-CNRS/École Pratique des Hautes Études-Sorbonne) and teaching assistant at the Catholic University of Paris - Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences. Her research interests include sociology of religion; new religious movements; law and religion in Europe; religious education; regulation of religious pluralism; state public policy and religion. She is a member of the International Society for the Sociology of Religion (ISSR); the Association for Sociology of Religion (ASR); the Italian Sociological Association (AIS).

’...the variety of contributions is not at the expense of the thematic, conceptual, and methodological cohesion of the book. On the contrary, there is a remarkable unity and consistency and a systematic analysis of issues concerning religious freedom, pluralism, and the law in Europe.’ Journal of Contemporary Religion ’This book provides crucial and relevant insights regarding many of the complex aspects of the relationships between religion and public spaces. It illustrates how concepts that are taken for granted in a specific national context can also migrate and affect the development of case law and legislation in other countries. It is to be welcomed as a new and relevant work in the field.’ Religion and Human Rights ’This book offers more than its title promises. It is not only about Europe or about religion. Insightful, suggestive and as diverse as its contributors, it contains a persuasive reflection on the need to rethink the very notion of public space that Western democracies have used since the nineteenth century.’ Javier Martinez-Torron, Complutense University School of Law, Spain 'This is a highly important book in a remarkable controversy. Silvio Ferrari and Sabrina Pastorelli present a rich volume full of information, thought, and insight - presenting masterpieces of interdisciplinary research and political guidance. The book is a most valuable contribution to freedom and equality throughout Europe.’ Gerhard Robbers, University of Trier, Germany 'Religion in Public Spaces will prove useful to researchers interested in the legal and political issues raised by the public dimension of religion. It could also be used as a supplemental text in advanced undergraduate or graduate seminars on religion and law or religion and politics...' Law & Politics Book Review

• 1: Religion and Rethinking the Public-Private Divide; I: Religions and the Public/Private Divide; 2: Public and Private, a Moving Border; 3: Socio-Historical Perspectives on the Public and the Private Spheres 1; 4: The ‘Public-Private' Divide on Drift; 5: Religious Freedom and the Public-Private Divide; 6: The ‘Public' and the ‘Private' in the Common Law and Civil Law Traditions and the Regulation of Religion; 7: Contested Normative Cultures; 8: Religion in the European Public Spaces; II: Religion and the Dress Codes; 9: From Front-Office to Back-Office; 10: Religious Dress Codes; 11: Religious Dress Codes in the United Kingdom; 12: Religious Dress Codes; 13: Religious Dress Codes; 14: Comparing Burqa Debates in Europe; III: Religion and the Places of Worship; 15: The Right to Establish and Maintain Places of Worship; 16: The Places of Worship in France and the Public/Private Divide; 17: ‘Stopp Minarett'? The Controversy over the Building of Minarets in Switzerland; 18: Places of Worship