The UM fosters dialogue between religion and the republic
How can we reconcile religious practice with life in society, and personal beliefs with respect for the laws of the republic? At a time when public debate and current events raise more questions than they provide answers, the university degree program in Religions and Democratic Society aims precisely to fill students’ gaps in understanding the principles governing the relationship between the French state and religions: secularism, separation of church and state…
As summarized by Professor Gérard Gonzalez, director of the University Diploma program
The point is to explain that France is a country where people enjoy extensive religious freedom, which entails rights but also a number of responsibilities and limitations…
Launched last year, this degree program at the University of Montpellier, offered by the Faculty of Law and Political Science, is open to religious leaders while maintaining a policy of diversity, as students study alongside deacons, imams, chaplains, and community leaders.
A completely free degree
This university diploma program was launched by the Ministry of Higher Education and the Ministry of the Interior, under the Ministry of the Interior’s purview as Minister of Religious Affairs. Enrollment is therefore free for all students thanks to a grant provided by the Ministry of the Interior to the university. About ten similar university diploma programs have been established across the country.“The Ministry of the Interior aims to establish a nationwide network by launching university certificates dedicated to this topic,” explains Professor Gérard Gonzalez, director of the program.
All operate on the same model: starting with a foundation of general education on the values of the Republic, the program covers the major religious traditions, from Christianity to Judaism, including Buddhism and Islam. It examines these traditions through the lenses of history, law, and sociology.