Secularism today: issues and prospects 120 years after the 1905 law

The law separating church and state (December 9, 1905) is 120 years old. While it provided a clear answer to the question it set out to resolve - the relationship between the State and religious actors within society - confusion still dominates public debate and the public mind, as it is renewed by new issues and the self-interested mobilization of certain players in the debate.

Under these conditions, the original secularism of 1905 is being called into question here, challenged there, and pulled towards new meanings elsewhere by a disoriented public opinion. 120 years after the initial law, how can we analyze the new stakes, observe and understand developments so that everyone (and in particular public service and university employees) can position themselves in their profession and in their role as citizens?

An event organized by the Campus Life Department to mark the 120th anniversary of the law separating Church and State, and organized by Jean-Paul Udave, the University of Montpellier's Secularism Referent.