The Doyle Engaging Difference Program - Georgetown University

Before leaving for Strasbourg, I assumed that it would be a primarily secular city. This assumption was built on both knowledge I had gathered in classes and through my personal interactions. In my courses, I learned that during the French Revolution, religion was purged from the French national identity. Furthermore, one of the key concepts of French society today is laicité, which can be loosely translated as secularism. On a personal level, I am also half-French and the majority of my French family lives in Paris. Because of this, before going to study abroad, I felt that I had a good understanding of French culture and could grasp French religious traditions. Because my French family is largely atheist, I quickly assumed that I would find a similar atheist majority in Strasbourg.

Immediately upon meeting my host family, I realized that my preconceived notions had not given me the full picture of religious life in France. The morning after I arrived was a Sunday, and I was searching for a Catholic Mass nearby. When I asked my host family where I could go, they revealed that they were also Catholic, immediately disproving my hasty judgment. I quickly discovered that Strasbourg is also home to large Muslim, Protestant, and Jewish communities, alongside its secular population.

Through dinner table discussions with my host family, I learned that it is the complex history of the Alsace region, in which Strasbourg is situated, that has in part fueled its immense religious diversity.

Strasbourg sits on the French and German border. The Alsace region was occupied by the Germans during the two World Wars, before being returned to the French in 1945. Because of this, Strasbourg is home to a blend of religious cultures, in which the Catholic French tradition coexists alongside the Protestant German one. This manifests itself in many ways in the community. The clearest example can be found in the religious infrastructure of Strasbourg. Many of the Catholic churches in the area have the same name as nearby Protestant churches. An avid user of Google Maps, this was initially a source of frustration for me. Yet, after learning the historical reason why this was the case, I began to appreciate the beauty of the situation.

These shared names came about because the Protestant and Catholic communities used to share the same churches. Eventually, the two religious communities, previously coexisting together, decided to build separate churches to house both communities. For example, in the case of St. Pierre-Le-Jeune, the Protestant community retains the old church that was built in the medieval age. The Catholic community eventually built a new one in the nineteenth century, bearing the same name. Yet, the interaction of these two religious communities is not just historical. At one of the Masses I attended, the priest announced that the parish would be participating in a joint event with the nearby Protestant parish. To this day, these religious communities continue to interact.

Strasbourg has demonstrated to me how religious traditions can adapt to each other. While historically Catholics and Protestants have long been divided, in Strasbourg, they were able to not only coexist but also come together.

However, religions in Strasbourg not only have to adapt to the immense religious diversity of the region, they have also had to adapt to the enduring influence of European politics in the city. Strasbourg houses a variety of international institutions, including the European Parliament, the European Court of Human Rights, and the Council of Europe. Each of these institutions seeks to unite many different countries with diverse religious traditions. On my daily runs, I would pass by the Council of Europe, noticing the nearly 50 national flags flanking its entrance. Because of the national diversity at the heart of these institutions, they are dedicated to the principle of secularism. To avoid privileging one religious tradition, they forgo any religious aspect in their functioning.

I initially found it ironic that these institutions would be housed in Strasbourg, one of the most religious cities in France. While Strasbourg is considered to be a politically symbolic site as it sits on the border of France and Germany, Alsace has a special legal statute and remains under the Napoleonic code. This means that religion is more present in the public sphere. For example, Strasbourg is the only city in France where theology can be taught in the universities. Similarly, priests are considered to be employees of the state in Strasbourg. On a more cultural level, the Strasbourg Cathedral is the defining symbol of the city and its most recognizable monument.

Yet, I found beauty in the fact that this paradox existed. On my walks back from school, I would often see the Turkish Muslim community protesting in front of the Council of Europe. On one of my runs, I saw a quote from Pope Francis engraved into the pavement outside of the Council. This juxtaposition of religion and politics proved to me that a thriving religious population is not mutually exclusive from the democratic principle of the separation of church and state. While religion and politics remain separated in Strasbourg, the European political institutions that the city houses are certainly not cut off from the influence of the religious communities in the city.

Ultimately, my stay in Strasbourg showed me how religious traditions can interact with the settings in which they are placed, whether that is amidst other religious traditions or in the midst of politics. As I return to Washington, DC, I hope to observe how other religious traditions adapt to their unique settings.