Religious fundamentalism project

Religious fundamentalism, dogmatism, and radicalisms:
internal dynamics and social regulation (ARC project)

Understanding the psychological dynamics of convictional dogmatism, especially religious fundamentalism (RF), and adopting adequate societal devices with regard to radical expressions of religion and existential ideologies are key issues for both science and society.

This 5-year large project consists on a discipline-grounded but inter-disciplinary in focus research on religious radicalism, integrating fundamental theoretical questions that have societal implications. This research will cover the personal, moral, social, and contextual dimensions that are important for understanding and socially regulating religious radicalism (in terms of law, societal policies, and educational implications).

A comparative approach with other non-religious forms of radicalism as well as a dynamic approach - conditions leading to or moving from radicalization - will also be adopted.

Two axes will constitute the main binding links between fundamental research, applied questions, and social implications: these are the challenges for social cohesion and for a pluralist society made by RF’s respective de-valorization of autonomy and emphasis on coherence and integrity.

The project started on October 2008. It joins expertise from four specific fields: psychology of religion (personality, moral, and social), law and religions, psychology of human development and education, and social criminology. It is based on fruitful collaborations between the Center for Psychology of Religion and the Chair of Law and Religions, as well as collaborations with the Human Development Lab and the CRID&P.

This ARC (Action de Recherche Concertée - Concerted Research Action) project is funded for 5 years by the Université catholique de Louvain (Research Council) and the Communauté Française de Belgique.