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Von Hügel Institute

for Critical Catholic Inquiry
 

The place of religion in the 'public squares' in Europe and in the European Public Square has become an increasingly contentious and urgent matter. It is a result of many factors among them a deepening cleavage between religious and secular world views on a variety of social issues, the presence of large minority communities of different faiths and a more general breakdown of social consensus and 'sociality' in our polities. The conceptual and legal tools traditionally used to mediate such tensions often appear to be inadequate and at times part of the problem rather than providing solutions.

In his Von Hügel Lecture, Professor J.H.H. Weiler, President of the European University Institute (EUI), will address these issues and suggest different ways of both conceptualizing and managing the cleavages.

The event is part of the VHI lecture series, which is jointly sponsored by St Mary's University, Twickenham. This event is also co-sponsored by the European Centre at POLIS.

Weiler 1

About the speaker

Joseph Weiler is one of the most important theorists of European integration on which he has written extensively, and he also has an abiding interest in religion. Before his appointment as EUI President, he was the holder of the European Union Jean Monnet Chair at New York University School of Law, Director of the Straus Institute for the Advanced Study of Law & Justice, and Co-Director of the Tikvah Center for Law & Jewish Civilization.

He serves as Editor in Chief of EJIL – the European Journal of International Law and ICON – the International Journal of Constitutional Law. Weiler is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He holds degrees from Sussex (B.A.); Cambridge (LL.B. and LL.M.); and The Hague Academy of International Law (Diploma of International Law). He earned his Ph.D. in European Law at the EUI, Florence. He is recipient of Doctorates Honoris Causa from numerous European universities. From 1978 to 1985, Weiler was a member and Head of the Department of Law at the EUI and co-founded its Academy of European Law and the European Policy Unit, the precursor of the Robert Schuman Centre.

Weiler served for many years as a member of the Committee of Jurists of the Institutional Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, inter alia co-drafting the European Parliament's Declaration of Human Rights and Freedoms. He is a WTO and NAFTA Panelist.

The lecture is free to attend, no booking required.

 

 

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