Freedom of Religion, Tolerance and Neutrality:
An Ambiguous Trinity?

Conference on 21 May 2024 (in Dutch)

Freedom of Religion seems to be guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However, is this formal, legally recognized freedom enough to ensure freedom in reality? Does the neutral secularity of the state enable free exercise of religion or does it filter religious traditions from the social fabric? Is religion a primary good like a mother language? Or is it rather a membership without obligation, comparable to a sports club membership? Can one express his/her religious conviction freely or is it limited to the private sphere? How does the neutral state safeguard the (minority) voice of believers in the public domain and their right to representation and acknowledgment?

During this study day, these questions will be addressed by key note speakers Mariëtta van der Tol (Lincoln College, University of Oxford), Sophie van Bijsterveld (Radboud University Nijmegen), Jogchum Vrielink (UCLouvain Saint-Louis Bruxelles), Samira Azabar (Radboud University Nijmegen) and Frans van Daele (European Commision). The lectures are in Dutch.

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