Law, Religions, Modernity

What is a religion? When can a behavior be described as "religious"? Can a political ideology be considered a religion? The definition of religion is a problem that arises not only in the field of philosophical and theological sciences, but also in social sciences' one and, in particular, in legal studies. The course aims to offer conceptual tools for a critical reflection on the crucial question of the relationship between religion and modernity. The implications of these reflections will then be assessed with reference to secular systems that use explicit references to the religious factor, deriving legal effects from them, first of all the italian constitutional system. Finally, the issue of how "traditional" religions approach the comparison with "new" ones will be addressed, in the context of relationships with secular systems.