The Religion Factor

Today is World Refugee Day and if the numbers released by the UNHCR today tell us anything, more action and new approaches are urgently needed to address the needs of the rapidly growing globally displaced population.

Religious Freedom is rapidly becoming a high priority issue in the EU and elsewhere. In today’s post, Frank Ubachs explores some of these developments, particularly in relation to the Netherlands...

Religious freedom is becoming an increasingly significant issue in the European Union. Last year saw the adoption of the EU Guidelines on Freedom of Religion or Belief, and governments such as the Netherlands, the UK, France and Germany are placing renewed emphasis on religious freedom in their foreign policy.

This week marks the 60thanniversary of the coming into force of the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. Much has changed since the Convention was initially drafted, signed and ratified by states.

Next week, Professor Simon Glendinning from the London School of Economics will give a talk on “Derrida and the Question of Religion Today” as part of the Centre for Religion, Conflict and the Public Domain Seminar Series.

Door de straten in Groningen trekt vanavond een lichtend wit kruis, en de binnenstad verandert even in Jeruzalem. The Passion is neergestreken in de stad. Wat heeft het nog te maken met het Bijbelse lijdensverhaal van Christus? Van Justin Kroesen & Birgit van der Lans.

The Passion comes to Groningen in 2014. A hugely popular event, it raises many questions at the same time. Is it a form of religion reasserting itself in the public sphere? Is it a purely cultural event, as some commentators suggest?

Research and policy on terrorism in the 21st century seems to assume a strong link to religion and that this somehow makes 21st century terrorism unique in comparison to terrorism from previous historical periods. But is this really the case? Christian Frank explores these issues in today’s post.

As the eyes of the world continue to focus on the crisis unfolding in the Ukraine, images are emerging from the conflict of religious leaders providing inspiration and blessing to participants from all sides of the conflict.