Louis-Léon Christians

Cognitive and emotional characteristics of New Religious Movement members: New questions and data on the mental health issue

The common assumption that members of so-called “cults” and New Religious Movements (NRMs) have mental health problems is usually countered by empirical research suggesting a normal personality profile. Going further than the normality–pathology distinction, we investigated affective-relational (parental and adult attachment) and cognitive (need for closure) needs, world assumptions, and past and present depression as reported by members (N = 113) of a variety of NRMs in Belgium that are somewhat socially contested. Comparisons were made with data from the general population. Results suggest a fragile past (insecure attachment history, high need for closure, and depressive tendencies) but a positive present (positive world assumptions, security in adult attachment, no depression) and an optimistic future, at least on the basis of self-perceptions. Overall, the pattern of results fit well with what we know from psychology of conversion in general.

Religious Rules and Principles in Belgian Law

Whilst Belgian society is highly secularised, Belgian courts very often use the concept of “religious rules”, but its precise content remains undefined. Sometimes the concept of “religious rules” is very narrowly understood as an institutional and formal rule enacted by a religious authority. Sometimes the concept is largely open to include any individual feeling of religious duty. Sometimes the concept is only open to registered religions, sometimes it includes any kind of religious or philosophical groups. This report chooses a generous understanding of the concept, while focusing it on traditional religions.

The Prohibition of Incitement to National, Racial or Religious Hatred in European Comparative Perspective

The implementation of Article 20, paragraph 2, of the ICCPR has become one of the major issues of international law. This article presents an analysis of major trends in national legislation, case law and policy relating to the prohibition of incitement to hatred in Europe. This article aims to take a new look at the practical questions raised by these conditions and provisions, thus helping to restore the effectiveness of fundamental rights.

Convergence and proceduralisation: Generalisation vs contextualisation?

This paper presents some remarks regarding the hypothesis of proceduralisation of law in the field of telecommunications convergence, theme of a conference held at the university of Louvain, 16-17 October 1997 and specially of the paper of Colin Scott published in this issue. The paper addresses the issues of a new model of legal theory beyond both the classic regulatory model and the competition law model. It presents an analysis of how an apparent dilemma between generalisation and contextualisation may be solved by a proceduralised paradigm and how this new paradigm may reconcile the complexity of convergence and the democratic requirements in a rational way.