500 years of State-Church relations in Norway are coming to an end. The Government of Norway has just presented its proposal for a new law regulating relations between the State, the Church of Norway and Religious and Life-Stance communities, particularly looking at State financing.

 

The Council for Religions and Life Stance Communities (STL) would like to invite to a seminar to address issues related to the new law.  The key-note speech will be delivered by Professor Jonathan Fox. The theme of the speech is “Religious tolerance and intolerance in a global perspective”.

 

Jonathan Fox is a world-renowned scholar in the area of Religion and Politics. Fox examines the impact of religion on politics in relation to international interventions, ethnicity and nationalism, terrorism and national security. In his numerous publications, Jonathan Fox also focuses on issues of State, religion and secularism, particularly concerning discrimination against religious minorities.

 

Professor Jonathan Fox’s address will be followed by the input of Torkel Brekke, Research Professor at The Peace Research Institute of Oslo (PRIO), sharing his perspectives on the Norwegian context. A second response on the Norwegian context will be given by Asle Toje, Research Director at the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo.

 

A panel debate will follow, introduced by Ingrid Rosendorf Joys, General Secretary of the Council of Religious and Life Stance Communities (STL) and moderated by Dr. Vebjørn Horsfjord, Postdoctoral Fellow at The Faculty of Theology.

 

Program

08:30:    Coffee and croissants

09:00:    Welcome by Britt Strandlie Thoresen, Chair of the Council of Religious and Life Stance             Communities (STL)

09:05:    Opening by Bård Folke Fredriksen, State Secretary to the Minister of Culture

09:15:    Keynote speech by Prof. Jonathan Fox

10:00:    Liberal perspectives on the Norwegian context by Prof. Torkel Brekke

10:15:    Conservative perspectives on the Norwegian context Asle Toje

10:30:    Break and refreshments

10:50:    Intro to panel discussion focusing on the suggested new Law on Religious and Life-Stance             Communities by Ingrid Rosendorf Joys

11:15:    Panel discussion and Q&A with speakers moderated by Dr. Vebjørn Horsfjord

12:30:    Closing

Register for the seminar here.

For more information see STLs facebook event.