PhD ceremony Mr. P.T. Pel: Geestelijken in het recht. De rechtspositie van geestelijke functionarissen in het licht van het eigen recht van kerken en religieuze gemeenschappen in de Nederlandse rechtsorde

PhD ceremony: Mr. P.T. Pel, 16.15 uur, Academiegebouw, Broerstraat 5, Groningen

Dissertation: Geestelijken in het recht. De rechtspositie van geestelijke functionarissen in het licht van het eigen recht van kerken en religieuze gemeenschappen in de Nederlandse rechtsorde

Promotor(s): prof. F.T. Oldenhuis, prof. W.A. Zondag

Faculty: Law

In his dissertation Pieter Pel investigates what the law status of spiritual officers in churches and religious communities is like. The answer to this question is of obvious importance for all who are involved, as: clergymen, priests, pastors, imams, ministers, pastoral or church workers c.q. all those who are professional workers in a spiritual office or function in churches, parishes or mosques. But also for those who lead the church as church councils, church boards, synods and bishops. Churches and religious communities have a special place in Dutch law. The fundamental right to freedom of religion, the state neutrality and the separation of church and state mark the mutual relationships. They are a recognition of the right of churches and religious communities to an implementation and organization according to their own theological and religious principles.

By nature the investigation is juridical and consistently drawn from the dual perspective of church and state law. The plurality of church regulations and of state law and rules, case-law as well, is a complex field which is orderly raised. Thus this study also becomes an interesting source of knowledge for all jurists and theologians, who regularly deal with the subject matter.