Switzerland’s religious makeup has undergone some fundamental changes during the past few decades. Not only have the immigrants who have put down roots in Switzerland brought a number of new religions with them, but there has also been a shift in relations between Switzerland’s Christian population and its national churches. While these have lost large numbers of their erstwhile members, the number of people with no religious affiliation at all is rising and the free churches are thriving.
Religions, the State, and Society National Research Programme (NRP 58) aims to subject these changes to scientific scrutiny and in doing so to obtain results of practical relevance to the authorities, policymakers, schools, and religious communities. It is hoped that this in turn will help promote understanding among the various religious communities and between the religious communities and non-religious people as well. One purpose of the NRP 58, therefore, is to improve communications and hence understanding among all Swiss residents.
The Federal Council on 2nd December 2005 approved the National Research Programme «Religions in Switzerland» and earmarked ten million Swiss francs of public funds for this purpose. The research projects each have a term of three years. The scientific work began in the summer of 2007.
The NRP 58 has three basic objectives:
The NRP 58 is interdisciplinary in design and the twenty-eight projects approved will bring together researchers from the fields of religion, sociology, history, theology, ethnology, Islamic studies, Tibetology, political science, communication sciences, business, education, social pedagogy, and gerontology.
For more information on the NRP 58, click here.
Religions, the State, and Society National Research Programme (NRP 58) aims to subject these changes to scientific scrutiny and in doing so to obtain results of practical relevance to the authorities, policymakers, schools, and religious communities. It is hoped that this in turn will help promote understanding among the various religious communities and between the religious communities and non-religious people as well. One purpose of the NRP 58, therefore, is to improve communications and hence understanding among all Swiss residents.
The Federal Council on 2nd December 2005 approved the National Research Programme «Religions in Switzerland» and earmarked ten million Swiss francs of public funds for this purpose. The research projects each have a term of three years. The scientific work began in the summer of 2007.
The NRP 58 has three basic objectives:
- to explore the fundamental changes taking place in both individual religiosity and Switzerland’s religious makeup;
- to provide an empirical basis for religious and educational policymaking;
- to investigate how the peaceful coexistence of the various religious communities, and that of both religious and non-religious individuals, can be promoted.
The NRP 58 is interdisciplinary in design and the twenty-eight projects approved will bring together researchers from the fields of religion, sociology, history, theology, ethnology, Islamic studies, Tibetology, political science, communication sciences, business, education, social pedagogy, and gerontology.
For more information on the NRP 58, click here.