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November, Fiday 21st

Religions,
threat or hope for our societies

Friday morning

8.00am Registration of the participants

9.00am Introduction by Jérôme Vignon, President of the "Semaines
Sociales de France"

9.15am Prologue

Representatives of public and religious authorities coming from Lyon
or its regions discuss: what do they expect from each other?

10.00am Religions on trial

By Danièle Hervieu-Léger, sociologist in religion, President of the "Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales"

In the light of open conflicts, terrorism or calls for crusade, religions are more often regarded as contributors to war than to peace. Is the “shock of civilisations” a reality? What are the “friction points” between religions and our societies which stir up divisions. Such questions related to the limits of biotechnology, the integrity of human life at its beginning and at its end, as well as the man-woman differentiation are obvious examples. Is the situation the same in the different European countries?

10.30am Discussion

11.00am Break

11.30am From indifférence to demand for action

By Jean-Louis Schlegel, sociologist, editor

Despite the massive indifference to religions, in the eyes of the majority, the latter remain sources of meaning, factors of consistency, the influence of which renews itself by means other than mass communication.
Conventionally ridiculed by the media, they are paradoxically consulted or sought after more and more frequently, when one is Paul-Michaël Zulehner

faced to the new challenges of living together. Can we talk of an “open” laity?

and Paul-Michaël Zulehner, sociologist, theologian - Vienna

12.10pm Discussion

12.30pm Lunch

Fiday afternoon

2.00pm Religions in society, tools of interpretentation

By Bruno-Marie Duffé, philosopher and theologian

Beyond the sociological analysis forced by definition to neutrality we must mention the constituents elements of a religion because a religion does not consist merely of questions of belongings, convictions, rites and behaviours. It is above all a matter of memory and of transmission. Memory, faith, solidarities and ethical convictions nurture the link of the religion with its social
environment.

2.30pm The role and place of religions in society

Round table discussion moderated by Henri Tincq, writer and journalist ("Le Monde des Religions", "Le Monde"). Mustapha Chérif

With Régine Azria, sociologist,

Mustapha Chérif, former minister, former ambassador, Islamic scholar,

and Paul Valadier, Jesuit,

professor of moral and political philosophy

Which sort of answers do the religions give to the current questions of our societies? With this round table, we will be able to measure the possible gap between the various religions and know their respective points of view. Up to what point does the manipulation of which they declare themselves victims take place? They will express their own point of view regarding the role, they have in society. And how does the act of faith hang together with membership and visibility.

4.00pm Discussion

4.45pm Break

5.00pm Stage show depicting the religious tradition in Lyon

By Geneviève Iacono, academic

This stage show will recount 20 centuries of the particularly rich religious history of the town of Lyon, inseparable from the history of Lyon, and depict the transformation over the years of the relation between religions and society.

Last update : 22/07/2008