Types of relationships between the state, religion and religious organizations in Europe - an attempt to develop a new classification

Abstract

Existing theorethical models of relationship between the state and religious organisations is under consideration in this article. European countries have implemented different legal/legislative solutions which are used for regulating the relationships between the state, religion and religious organisations. Many authors have classified these different types of regulations in a number of ideal types. Within the context of this paper a new type of classification which is based on two separate dimensions of the relationship towards religion and religious organisations is presented. The first dimension is intimately interlinked with the laicisation of the state, whilst the second one is linked with its secularistion. These dimensions are measured by an in depth study of a number of variables. Data based on the analysis of legislations within 19 European countries are presented herein within our classificatory scheme. This article can be a starting point for further theoretical and empirical work within this particular subfield.