Patrick Loobuyck
Biographic Data
| ID | 180141 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Patrick Loobuyck |
| GIVEN NAMES | Patrick |
| FAMILY NAME | Loobuyck |
| SIGNATURE | LOOBUYCK P |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Antwerp |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-3553-1728 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 17 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 62 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 17 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2005 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
‘Because I didn’t get what I wanted from God’
In this study, we focus on the role of religious beliefs in initiating (de)conversion processes, based on 43 interviews with people who have (de)converted from/to the Islam, Christianity, Judaism or a secular worldview in Flanders in the last 5 to 10 years. While in everyday discourses on religion, religious beliefs are interpreted as the sole reason why people belong to a religious community or why they leave or change this community, we wanted …
Navigating (De)Conversion While Maintaining Social Relations Across Different Religions in Flanders (Belgium)
Religious (de)conversion trajectories often involve shifts in social networks, both within and outside religious communities. This paper explores two key aspects: first, the strategies used by (de)converts in Flanders (Belgium) to communicate their (de)conversion, and second, how they experienced the reactions of their social networks, shaped by the organization of their religious groups. Based on 43 in-depth interviews with individuals who have …
The Mutual Reinforcement of Populism and Post-Truth in Undermining Deliberative Democracy
Religion and political participation reconsidered
n this article, we expand the understanding of the role of religious civil society actors as political intermediaries by re-evaluating the meaning of political participation and power, and moving beyond a binary understanding of religion and political participation in liberal democracies. We present three key findings of our research on faith-based organizations (FBOs) in Flanders: (1) service delivery functions as a site for political participat…
Thomas Hertog over Hawking Het verhaal achter de oerknaltheorie en het schijnbaar biofiel ontwerp van ons heelal
mooie foto's en illustraties wordt verteld.Hierdoor is zijn boek zeer leesbaar en in grote mate ook voor leken in het vakgebied begrijpelijk.Het boek heeft ook filosofisch iets te bieden.Er komen immers heel wat 'grote vragen' aan bod, die zonder alle wetenschappelijke details te moeten begrijpen, ons aan het denken kunnen zetten
Integrative RE in Flanders
Since 2009, there is a discussion about how RE should be organised in state and ‘private’ (mainly Catholic) schools in Flanders. Especially the proposal to introduce non-denominational and integrative RE for all pupils in all schools stimulated the debate. More than ten years later, the RE system, which is based on (semi-)confessional and in state schools also separate RE courses, has not changed profoundly. Despite this status quo, several initi…
The policy shift towards citizenship education in Flanders. How can it be explained
In 2018 the Flemish Government agreed to introduce citizenship education for all students in secondary schools. This is new, since Flanders does not have an elaborated tradition of citizenship education. After a presentation of the political genealogy and the content of the new educational goals, the article analyses which theoretical framework can be used to explain this policy shift in Flanders. Conventional theories such as ‘interest groups’ a…
With or Without Religious Symbols? Why Political Liberalism is Inconclusive in the Case of Civil Servants
Introduction
Since the 1970s multiculturalist policies that recognize and accommodate ethnocultural diversity have been implemented across western democracies. However, the tide seems to have changed: a 'backlash against multiculturalism' has been occurring since the 1990s. While it remains unclear whether this backlash is a matter of rhetoric or if there is indeed a wholesale retreat from multiculturalism, several scholars, politicians and journalists have i…
Imams in Flanders
This paper presents the results of an exploratory, mixed-method study on imams in Flanders. The research question was mainly who are they?, in an attempt to draw the first picture of their socio-demographic background, ethnicity, functions, and expectations with respect to their position in Flanders, or in Belgium more broadly speaking. The first three sections give context information about Muslims, Islam, and mosques in Belgium and Flanders. In…
Is Multiculturalism Bad for Social Cohesion and Redistribution
Multiculturalism as an official policy strategy has recently come in for significant criticism in a number of Western European countries. A key criticism is that multicultural policies undermine redistribution policies, since they would erode the social cohesion upon which redistribution measures are built. However, empirical research does not univocally confirm this critique. This article explains why this is the case. The first argument is call…
Church–State Regimes and their Impact on the Institutionalization of Islamic Organizations in Western Europe
Since the 1990s, the establishment and recognition of representative bodies for Muslim communities in Western European countries have been an important political and social topic. In many immigration countries in Europe, there were a variety of initiatives. In this article, we shall discuss to what extent particular church–state regimes are crucial to the understanding of the genealogy of these representative Muslim organizations. Four countries …
Is Active State Support for Religions and Worldviews Compatible with the Liberal Idea of State Neutrality? A Critical Analysis of the Belgian Case
Since the Age of Enlightenment, the separation of state and church has been an important principle that facilitates the organization of a liberal democracy. This separation has a double, reciprocal task: the government should be protected against illegitimate religious interference, and religions and believers should be protected against undesirable political involvement.1 Nowadays, it seems better to use the concept “separation between state and…
Creating mutual identification and solidarity in highly diversified societies. The importance of identification by shared participation
Like the liberal nationalists, we insist that a sense of belonging together is necessary for the practice of an egalitarian democracy. Therefore, we can take a shared national identity as one of the building blocks of the welfare state. However, we argue that a shared cultural or civic national identity can not be a necessary condition for this sense of belonging together. The mere fact of co-operation and common participation in shared activitie…
Determinants of Attitudes Toward Muslim Students Among Flemish Teachers
Muslims are now the second largest religious group in almost all Western countries and a large majority of Muslim citizens are children who attend schools. However teachers' attitudes regarding the education of Muslim students are largely ignored by educational researchers. In this study, we investigate the determinants of teachers' attitudes among Flemish (Belgian) teachers (N = 620). Regression analysis has revealed that female teachers, Muslim…
A reply to Daniel Weinstock and Avigail Eisenberg
International audience
Liberal multiculturalism
International audience
Determinants of Attitudes Toward Muslim Students Among Flemish Teachers
Muslims are now the second largest religious group in almost all Western countries and a large majority of Muslim citizens are children who attend schools. However teachers' attitudes regarding the education of Muslim students are largely ignored by educational researchers. In this study, we investigate the determinants of teachers' attitudes among Flemish (Belgian) teachers (N = 620). Regression analysis has revealed that female teachers, Muslim…
Is Multiculturalism Bad for Social Cohesion and Redistribution
Multiculturalism as an official policy strategy has recently come in for significant criticism in a number of Western European countries. A key criticism is that multicultural policies undermine redistribution policies, since they would erode the social cohesion upon which redistribution measures are built. However, empirical research does not univocally confirm this critique. This article explains why this is the case. The first argument is call…
Church–State Regimes and their Impact on the Institutionalization of Islamic Organizations in Western Europe
Since the 1990s, the establishment and recognition of representative bodies for Muslim communities in Western European countries have been an important political and social topic. In many immigration countries in Europe, there were a variety of initiatives. In this article, we shall discuss to what extent particular church–state regimes are crucial to the understanding of the genealogy of these representative Muslim organizations. Four countries …
Imams in Flanders
This paper presents the results of an exploratory, mixed-method study on imams in Flanders. The research question was mainly who are they?, in an attempt to draw the first picture of their socio-demographic background, ethnicity, functions, and expectations with respect to their position in Flanders, or in Belgium more broadly speaking. The first three sections give context information about Muslims, Islam, and mosques in Belgium and Flanders. In…
Liberal multiculturalism
International audience
Is Active State Support for Religions and Worldviews Compatible with the Liberal Idea of State Neutrality? A Critical Analysis of the Belgian Case
Since the Age of Enlightenment, the separation of state and church has been an important principle that facilitates the organization of a liberal democracy. This separation has a double, reciprocal task: the government should be protected against illegitimate religious interference, and religions and believers should be protected against undesirable political involvement.1 Nowadays, it seems better to use the concept “separation between state and…
With or Without Religious Symbols? Why Political Liberalism is Inconclusive in the Case of Civil Servants
The Mutual Reinforcement of Populism and Post-Truth in Undermining Deliberative Democracy
A reply to Daniel Weinstock and Avigail Eisenberg
International audience
Liberal multiculturalism
International audience
Creating mutual identification and solidarity in highly diversified societies. The importance of identification by shared participation
Like the liberal nationalists, we insist that a sense of belonging together is necessary for the practice of an egalitarian democracy. Therefore, we can take a shared national identity as one of the building blocks of the welfare state. However, we argue that a shared cultural or civic national identity can not be a necessary condition for this sense of belonging together. The mere fact of co-operation and common participation in shared activitie…
Determinants of Attitudes Toward Muslim Students Among Flemish Teachers
Muslims are now the second largest religious group in almost all Western countries and a large majority of Muslim citizens are children who attend schools. However teachers' attitudes regarding the education of Muslim students are largely ignored by educational researchers. In this study, we investigate the determinants of teachers' attitudes among Flemish (Belgian) teachers (N = 620). Regression analysis has revealed that female teachers, Muslim…
Is Multiculturalism Bad for Social Cohesion and Redistribution
Multiculturalism as an official policy strategy has recently come in for significant criticism in a number of Western European countries. A key criticism is that multicultural policies undermine redistribution policies, since they would erode the social cohesion upon which redistribution measures are built. However, empirical research does not univocally confirm this critique. This article explains why this is the case. The first argument is call…
Church–State Regimes and their Impact on the Institutionalization of Islamic Organizations in Western Europe
Since the 1990s, the establishment and recognition of representative bodies for Muslim communities in Western European countries have been an important political and social topic. In many immigration countries in Europe, there were a variety of initiatives. In this article, we shall discuss to what extent particular church–state regimes are crucial to the understanding of the genealogy of these representative Muslim organizations. Four countries …
Is Active State Support for Religions and Worldviews Compatible with the Liberal Idea of State Neutrality? A Critical Analysis of the Belgian Case
Since the Age of Enlightenment, the separation of state and church has been an important principle that facilitates the organization of a liberal democracy. This separation has a double, reciprocal task: the government should be protected against illegitimate religious interference, and religions and believers should be protected against undesirable political involvement.1 Nowadays, it seems better to use the concept “separation between state and…
Imams in Flanders
This paper presents the results of an exploratory, mixed-method study on imams in Flanders. The research question was mainly who are they?, in an attempt to draw the first picture of their socio-demographic background, ethnicity, functions, and expectations with respect to their position in Flanders, or in Belgium more broadly speaking. The first three sections give context information about Muslims, Islam, and mosques in Belgium and Flanders. In…
Introduction
Since the 1970s multiculturalist policies that recognize and accommodate ethnocultural diversity have been implemented across western democracies. However, the tide seems to have changed: a 'backlash against multiculturalism' has been occurring since the 1990s. While it remains unclear whether this backlash is a matter of rhetoric or if there is indeed a wholesale retreat from multiculturalism, several scholars, politicians and journalists have i…
With or Without Religious Symbols? Why Political Liberalism is Inconclusive in the Case of Civil Servants
Integrative RE in Flanders
Since 2009, there is a discussion about how RE should be organised in state and ‘private’ (mainly Catholic) schools in Flanders. Especially the proposal to introduce non-denominational and integrative RE for all pupils in all schools stimulated the debate. More than ten years later, the RE system, which is based on (semi-)confessional and in state schools also separate RE courses, has not changed profoundly. Despite this status quo, several initi…
The policy shift towards citizenship education in Flanders. How can it be explained
In 2018 the Flemish Government agreed to introduce citizenship education for all students in secondary schools. This is new, since Flanders does not have an elaborated tradition of citizenship education. After a presentation of the political genealogy and the content of the new educational goals, the article analyses which theoretical framework can be used to explain this policy shift in Flanders. Conventional theories such as ‘interest groups’ a…
Thomas Hertog over Hawking Het verhaal achter de oerknaltheorie en het schijnbaar biofiel ontwerp van ons heelal
mooie foto's en illustraties wordt verteld.Hierdoor is zijn boek zeer leesbaar en in grote mate ook voor leken in het vakgebied begrijpelijk.Het boek heeft ook filosofisch iets te bieden.Er komen immers heel wat 'grote vragen' aan bod, die zonder alle wetenschappelijke details te moeten begrijpen, ons aan het denken kunnen zetten
‘Because I didn’t get what I wanted from God’
In this study, we focus on the role of religious beliefs in initiating (de)conversion processes, based on 43 interviews with people who have (de)converted from/to the Islam, Christianity, Judaism or a secular worldview in Flanders in the last 5 to 10 years. While in everyday discourses on religion, religious beliefs are interpreted as the sole reason why people belong to a religious community or why they leave or change this community, we wanted …
Navigating (De)Conversion While Maintaining Social Relations Across Different Religions in Flanders (Belgium)
Religious (de)conversion trajectories often involve shifts in social networks, both within and outside religious communities. This paper explores two key aspects: first, the strategies used by (de)converts in Flanders (Belgium) to communicate their (de)conversion, and second, how they experienced the reactions of their social networks, shaped by the organization of their religious groups. Based on 43 in-depth interviews with individuals who have …
The Mutual Reinforcement of Populism and Post-Truth in Undermining Deliberative Democracy
Religion and political participation reconsidered
n this article, we expand the understanding of the role of religious civil society actors as political intermediaries by re-evaluating the meaning of political participation and power, and moving beyond a binary understanding of religion and political participation in liberal democracies. We present three key findings of our research on faith-based organizations (FBOs) in Flanders: (1) service delivery functions as a site for political participat…
Sociology (14 works) · Political science (12 works) · Law (11 works) · Politics (9 works) · Philosophy (7 works) · Psychology (7 works) · Religion and Society Interactions (7 works) · Law (6 works) · Political economy (6 works) · Religion, Society, and Development (5 works)