Religion on Trial. Interview with Astrid von Busekist
In her book Religion on Trial. Essay on Deliberalism (Palgrave Macmillan, 2025), Professor of political theory Astrid von Busekist shows that the encounter between state law and religious commandments are more complex than the notorious “wall of separation” suggests. Reflecting on three case studies, Busekist suggests that the confrontation between civil and religious norms can be successfully solved through a pragmatic balance between public virtues and individual freedoms. She answers our questions in this short interview.
Can you tell us about the three cases you work with in your book and how the public authorities dealt with them?
The three cases I have selected allow me to reflect on a variety of different and changing dialogues between the State and the Churches in the broadest sense. I use an inductive approach: I start with the cases and try to understand what exactly happens when “Religion is on Trial”. Judges and parliamentary assemblies sometimes have to make difficult calls, namely when they have to decide whether members of religious communities should be accommodated or not. (...)
Read the full interview here.
