“State, Religion, and Family Law in Comparative Perspective”
An international and interdisciplinary summer school, conceived and led by Nathan J. Brown and Nadjma Yassari.
This research retreat focuses on finding ways to reach across disciplinary boundaries. The participants explore the extent to which state, religion and family law are not separate entities but influence one another in many ways: Even in societies that their members perceive as secular, the law shapes religious teachings, practices, and communities, and vice versa; family law is decided by state courts that find themselves confronted with religious aspects, even when they do not seek them out; and even states that attempt to exclude religious aspects must decide where and how they wish to draw this dividing line, often resorting to the law in the process. Academically, the fields of law, political science, and religious studies engage with this topic, frequently from a comparative perspective. However, different comparative methods are usually applied, and different subjects are compared.
The summer school balances expert input with intensive peer exchange: Mornings feature insights and feedback from leading international scholars, while afternoons are dedicated to participant-led workshops. During these sessions, early-career researchers share their individual projects with the group, receiving critical feedback to help them conduct highly reflective, interdisciplinary research.
Organizers:
Nathan J. Brown (HIAS Alumnus, George Washington University)
Nadjma Yassari (Swiss Institute for Comparative Law, universities of Zurich and Hamburg)
Experts:
Mirjam Künkler (Institute for Advanced Legal Studies, London)
Maya Mikdashi (Rutgers University)
Jakob Skovgaard-Petersen (University of Copenhagen)
Participants:
Dhabya Al Naimi (Université Paris Panthéon-Assas)
Noor Ameena (National Law School of India University)
Weston Bland (University of Oxford)
Fatima Elhag (University of Oxford)
Shihab Idrees (French Research Center in Jerusalem)
Lama Karame (University of Oxford)
Xinran Liu (Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory)
Ahmed Mohamed (The University of Texas at Austin)
Saeede Mokhtarzade (University of Galway)
Passainte Ragab (Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law)
Meryem Solmaz (Ibn Haldun University)
Can Yöney (Marmara University)
This Summer School is funded by:
In cooperation with:
