Presentation of the Observatory for Religious Phenomena

Director: Raphael Liogier, Professor, Aix University and at the Institute for Political Science/Policy Studies (IEP d'Aix-en-Provence)..

The Observatory for Religious Phenomena (World Religion Watch) was founded in 1992, within the framework of a research contract, under the guidance of Bruno Etienne, ground-breaking emeritus Professor at the Institute of Political Studies and former Fellow at the University Institute of France. After having obtained the status of "seed team", it has since acquired ongoing impetus as a widely acknowledged study group focusing on the sociology and political analysis of religious phenomena.

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Présentation de l'Observatoire du Religieux

L'Observatoire du Religieux (équipe d'accueil 2211) a été créé en 1992, dans le cadre d'un contrat de recherche, par Bruno ETIENNE, Professeur émérite à l'Institut d'études politiques et ancien membre de l'Institut Universitaire de France. Après avoir obtenu le statut de "jeune équipe", il s'est imposé comme un groupe reconnu en sociologie et politologie des religions.

Directeur : Raphaël LIOGIER, Professeur des universités à l'Institut d'études politiques

Read more: Présentation de l'Observatoire du Religieux

Research fields

The Sociology and Anthropology of worship through religious fact-finding on the national and local levels.

• The main traditional world religions
• New Religions Movements
• Death (a field of study addressing among other issues Islamic, Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, and Buddhist practices surrounding death, enabling to highlight the traditions, behaviour patterns and methods for regulation of religions communities.)
• Food
• Catechism and transmission
• Endogamy/ exogamy
• Forms of mysticism, music and therapy
• The body and the different religions
• Rituals, Myths and Symbols

Political, legal and ethical sciences

Political Science

• Religion and politicalculture
• Religion and ideology
• Religion and political institutions - Religion and political parties
• Religion and Globalisation - Religious Geopolitics
• Religion and colonisation/decolonisation
• Neo-traditionalisms: strategies and networks (more especially around the Mediterranean sea)
• The Secularism of the Republic and Cultural /Ritual pluralism
• Religion, social movements and the repertoires of collective action. - Religion and political competence
• Religious dçnomination as an eleçtoral variable - Religion and political socialization
• Religion and minority strategy

The Ethical and Legal Sciences

• Compared status of forms of worship(Morp especially in France, Europe and the Mediterranean countries)
• Religion, bipethics and Law - Religion and Human rights - Religion and citizenship
• Sects and official religions - Inter-religious exchange
• Internal legislation for religions
• Religion and the neutrality of Public Service

The Observatory Team

Raphaël LIOGIER	Frank FREGOSI	Bruno ETIENNE

Research Contracts / Funding Sources

Research Contracts

• IEP Four-Year Contract
• Contract with the Ministry of Defence (Centre for studies in social science, Ministry of Defence)
• Co-operation with the Ministries of Justice, Interior and Culture
• Consulting for French and European Official Bodies

Funding Sources

• IEP
• General Delegation for Scientific and Technical Research (Government)
• Contracts for finalised Research
• Partnerships
• Collaboration with UMR 7012 PRISME (CNRS - National Centre for Scientific Research/Robert SchumanUniversity and Strasburg 1 University.