Law, religious freedoms and education in Europe

Abstract

Book review: Law, Religious Freedoms and Education in Europe. Edited by Myriam Hunter-Henin. Farnham: Ashgate, 2011. 383pp. $144.95. Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) lies at the core of freedom of “religion” and “faith” in Europe. It states, “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief, in worship, teaching, practice and observance.” Professing religion in community with others, in public and in private have shaped church-state relations in postwar Europe. Article 9 is particularly significant regarding the ways in which the European Union (EU) as a supranational political system has engaged with “religion” and “faith.” Throughout the development of the acquis communautaire, references to religion have been …