Religion and Politics in FranceSee also Europe. 1. Brief Introduction 1. Brief Introduction to Religion and Politics in France France has a population of just over 64 million, with a population growth rate of .55% (July 2009 est). It had a 2008 HDI ranking of #10 and a 2008 CPI ranking of 6.9. The CIA Factbook lists France as 83-88% Catholic, 5-10% Muslim, 2% Protestant, 1% Jewish, and 4% unaffiliated. While the percentage of Catholics is high, church attendance is so low that the sociologist Jean Stoetzel prefers the category région laїque for France and like countries. In their public lives, French elites generally follow the secular ideology of the Revolution rather than any religious orientation. This secular ideology, however, did not prevent France from employing religious issues and institutions in colonial expansion, for example, in Vietnam and China. Soper and Fetzer document that for France, Germany, and Great Britain, religion still affects politics through party identification, immigration, and education. However, the three countries retain very different traditions of church-state relations. The historic political-religious divide at the time of the French Revolution created a great gap between the state-sponsored, almost “fundamentalist” secularism of the Revolution and Catholic devotionalism that tended to support rightist politics. The secular-religious gap did began to close under the presidency of Socialist François Mitterand, but laїcité still functions in social-political relationships, for example, in the dispute over whether Muslim girls can wear headscarves in public schools. In supporting this February 2004 law against “conspicuous” religious symbols, Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin argued that the scarves had “taken on a political meaning.” Christian, Muslim, and Sikh religious leaders called the ban “discriminatory.” France has allowed its first Muslim private schools where girls may wear their headscarves, but religious courses remain electives as they do in other, mostly Catholic, private schools. Many cultural Catholics remain attached to these religious schools while rarely attending church, and many Muslims attend Catholic schools. France has also battled incidents of anti-Semitism, where traditional forms have been exacerbated by immigration. The anti-immigrant, anti-E.U. far right, formed by Jean-Marie Le Pen, remains a catalyst when the French feel threatened politically or economically. Le Pen’s support comes disproportionately from the tribal feelings of unchurched Catholics, whereas non-religious, members of minority religions, and active Catholics are more welcoming of immigration. The rightist president Chirac appointed his protégé Dominique de Villepin in place of Raffarin after the defeat of the 2005 E.U. referendum, but Villepin was defeated by student protests when he proposed allowing employers to fire young workers without cause during the first trial period on the job. Unemployment is high, especially among immigrants, and urban riots took place in November 2005. Conservative Nicolas Sarkozy won the presidency in the second round of voting in May 2007, and his party, the Union for a Popular Movement retained control of the National Assembly in June. Sarkozy is much more open to a dialogue with the Catholic Church in seeking a "positive laїcité." Hanson (2006) discusses “Religion in Contemporary Europe and the Expansion of the European Union” (pp. 138-45); “National Europe: Politics, Immigration, and Education” (pp. 145-50); and “Religion and Politics in the Contemporary West” (pp. 155-163). 2. A Short Introductory Course to Religion and Politics in France The Introduction and the first four chapters of Burleigh’s book narrate the clash of the Catholic Church with the French Revolution and its aftermath that influence the relationships of religion and politics in French, and in all of Europe, up to the present day. Soper and Fetzer discuss contemporary religion and politics in France, Germany, and Great Britain on the issues of immigration and education. Casanova details the triumph of secularism as a “knowledge regime” in contemporary Western Europe, of which France is the primary example. Giry treats the current state of Muslims in France. Manuel and Mott begin their article on Latin Catholicism with the Catholic funeral mass for the secular Socialist Mitterand. For a fine discussion on the state of French Catholicism when the pope visited in September 2008, see the article by History Profess Englund of the American University of Paris. Burleigh, Michael. Earthly Powers: The Clash of Religion and Politics in Europe, from the French Revolution to the Great War (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2005), 1-143. Soper, J. Christopher, and Fetzer, Joel. “Religion and Politics in Secular Europe: Cutting Against the Grain,” in Jelen, Ted Gerard, and Wilcox, Clyde. Religion in the Comparative Perspective: The One, the Few, and the Many (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002), 169-94. Casanova, José, “Religion, European secular identities, and European integration,” in Byrnes, Timothy A., and Katzenstein, Peter J., eds. Religion in an Expanding Europe (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006), 65-92. Giry, Stéphanie, “France and Its Muslims,” Foreign Affairs (September/October 2006): 87-104. Giry states that “the integration of Muslims into French society has gone fairly well,” but ensconced intellectual and political classes and stagnant economy the main problems. Manuel, Paul Christopher, and Mott, Margaret MacLeish, “The Latin European Church: ‘Une Messe Est Possible,” Paul Christopher Manuel, Lawrence C. Reardon, Clyde Wilcox, eds. The Catholic Church and the Nation-State: Comparative Perspectives (Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2006), 53-68. Englund, Steven, "How Catholic Is France? You might be surprised," Commonweal (November 7, 2008): 12-18. Englund discusses the changes in French Catholicism under the "positive laїcité" of Sarkozy. The author illustrates the current intellectual leadership of Catholic scholars like Jean-Luc Marion (God Without Being), Claude Degens (Meditation on the Catholic Church in France: Free and Present) and Paul Valadier, S.J. (On the Spiritual in the Political). "Catholicism is not desperately looking for renewal from without; instead it is finding it within--not effortlessly and not always serenely, but surely and confidently." 3. Other Key Resource Materials to Religion and Politics in France Byatt, A.S. “What is a European?” New York Times Magazine (October 13, 2002):46-51. Coughlan, John, “God and Caesar in the New Europe,” America 189 (August 4-11, 2003): 20-23. Davie, Grace. Religion in Modern Europe: A Memory Mutates (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000). Dawson, Christopher. The Making of Europe (Cleveland: Meridian, 1956). Emerson, Michael. Redrawing the Map of Europe (London: Macmillian Press, 1998). Garton Ash, Timothy. Free World: America, Europe, and the Surprising Future of the West (New York: Random House, 2004). Greeley, Andrew M. Religion in Europe at the End of the Second Millennium: A Sociological Profile (New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction Publishers, 2003). Judt, Tony. Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945 (New York: Penguin, 2005). Kagan, Robert. Of Paradise and Power: America and Europe in the New World Order (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2003). Maréchal, Brigitee, Allievi, Stefano, Dassetto, Felice, and Nielsen, Jørgen, ed. Muslims in the Enlarged Europe (Leiden: Koninklijke Brill, 2003). Nelsen, Brent F., Guth, James L., and Fraser, Cleveland R., “Does Religion Matter? Christianity and Public Support for the European Union,” European Union Politics 2 (2001). Roy, Olivier. La laicité face à l’islam. Paris: Stock, 2005. Weigel, George. The Cube and the Cathedral: Europe, America, and Politics Without God. (New York: Basic Books, 2005). 4. Recent News Articles on France (a. Politics; b. Religion and Politics; c. Religion; d. Political Economy; e. Foreign Policy): a. Politics “Thwarted in Germany, Neo-Nazis Take Fascism to France,” New York Times, August 13, 2004. Germans seek to propagate fascism in Alsace. “French Leader Ousts Premier Over Lost Vote,” New York Times, June 1, 2005. President Jacques Chirac appointed protégé Dominique de Villepin in place of Jean-Pierre Raffarin after the defeat of European Union constitution in the French referendum. Op-eds by Olivier Roy and Antoine Audouard on Paris riots in November 2005. New York Times, November 9, 2005. “Party on Right Gains Support After Rioting Upsets France,” New York Times, April 23, 2006. “French Unrest Reflects Old Faith in Quasi-Socialist Ideals,” New York Times, April 9, 2006. Analysis of anger against government proposal to allow employers to fire young workers without cause during trial period on job. The proposal was eventually withdrawn. “Chirac’s Last Act: Lion in Winter, Wolves All Around,” New York Times, October 29, 2006. France’s obsession with summing up President’s (1995-) legacy and its relation to the future of France. TV programs, books, etc. "Tensions Over French Identity Shape Candidates' Voter Drives," New York Times, March 30, 2007. Sarkozy, Royal, and Le Pen all focus campaigns on what it means to be French, turn toward nationalist right on this issue. "An Admirer of America Sets a New Course for France," New York Times, May 8, 2007. Sarkozy wins second round over Royal "by assembling a majority of older voters, high earners, famers, and professionals." Exit data on voting of various groups. Sarkozy appoints Socialist, and founder of Doctors Without Borders, Bernard Kouchner as foreign minister and campaign aide Francois Fillon as prime minister. "Conservatives Win but Socialists Gain Seats in French Parliamentary Elections," New York Times, June 18, 2007. President Sarkozy's Union for a Popular Movement won 314 seats (-45) of the 577-seat National Assembly. The Socialists won 185 seats, a gain of 36. "Tense Rivalries Threaten A Melting-Pot District," New York Times, September 24, 2008. Paris' 19th Arrondissement is "one of the largest, youngest, poorest, most racially diverse--and the most criminal." It is next to some of the poorest suburbs. Social-cultural and religious tension among young gangs of Arabs and black immigrants, and Jews, who consider themselves integrated. "Sarkozy Embraces NATO, And Bigger Role for France," New York Times, March 8, 2009. France no longer seeking to foster "European counterweight" to American influence, but to become full partner in NATO and other institutions. b. Religion and Politics "Marseille Seeks Calm by Blurring Church-State Line," Wall Street Journal, November 21, 2005. Mayor Jean-Claude Gaudin's "very broad conception" of relations between the Republic and religions. “Jews in France Feel Sting as Anti-Semitism Surges Among Children of Immigrants,” New York Times, March 26, 2006. See also brutal killing of Jewish man and national response in February 2006. "A Pro-Church Law Opens Doors to a French Mosque," New York Times, October 7, 2008. Religious policy is different in the Alsace-Moselle region, and how it affects building of mosque. "French Court Convicts Scientology Of Fraud," New York Times, October 28, 2009. French court fines Scientology Celebrity Center and a bookstore, plus six leaders, nearly $900,000 for fraud. It is classified as a religion in the United States, but a sect or cult in countries like France, Germany, and Belgium. Recent investigations have been done in the U.S. by the St. Petersburg Times and ABC's "Nightline," charging "a culture of intimidation violence" by its former head. c. Religion Obit of Brother Roger, the Swiss Protestant theologian who in 1940 founded the ecumenical community of monks in Taizé, France. New York Times, August 18, 2005. "Teacher in Hiding After Attack on Islam Stirs Threats," New York Times, September 30, 2006. Robert Redeker, 52-year-old public high school teacher, wrote in the center-right Le Figaro that Muhammad was "a merciless warlord, a looter, a mass-mnurderer of Jews and a polygamist." "Spurning Secularism, Many French Muslims Find Haven in Catholic Schools," New York Times, September 30, 2008. With only four Muslim schools, France's 8,847 Catholic schools educate many Muslims, an estimated ten percent of the enrollment of these schools. Muslims appreciate tolerance for spirituality and high academic standards (15 of 20 top-rated high schools are Catholic, according to L'Express). d. Political Economy See Europe and current economic downturn. e. Foreign Policy “Turkish Laureate Criticizes French Legislation,” New York Times, October 14, 2006. Pamuk, who just won the Nobel Prize, criticizes legislation to criminalize denying that Turks committed genocide against Armenians. Connection of E.U. debate. "In New Defense Policy, France Turns to U.S. and Europe," New York Times, June 17, 2008. In first new national defense policy in 14 years, France decides that its security lies with U.S. and NATO, as long as there is "parallel progress" in developing a European defense and security policy. Plans to shrink military, but improve high-tech and flexibilty to meet myriad of new complex global risks, "from epidemics to terrorism to cyberwarfare." "Sarkozy Embraces NATO, And Bigger Role for France," New York Times, March 8, 2009. France no longer seeking to foster "European counterweight" to American influence, but to become full partner in NATO and other institutions.
List of all Countries November 11, 2009. |
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