Concept
Jean Baubérot (born 26 July 1941 in Châteauponsac, Haute-Vienne), is a French historian and sociologist specializing in sociology of religions. He is the founder of the sociology of secularism. After holding the chair of "History and Sociology of Protestantism" (1978–1990), he held the chair of "History and Sociology of secularism "(since 1991) at the École pratique des hautes études, where he was the honorary president. He wrote twenty books, including a historical novel. He is coauthor of the Déclaration internationale sur la laïcité, signed by 250 scholars from 30 countries. Baubérot is the son of teachers. He attended his secondary education at the Lycée Gay-Lussac in Limoges. At the Paris-Sorbonne University, he was awarded doctor for history (under the direction of Jean-Marie Mayeur) for letters and human sciences, he graduated from the École pratique des hautes études (EPHE). He started as technical contributor at the EPHE in 1967, then he became research assistant in 1971, then director of studies in 1978. He chaired the Section of Religious Sciences between 1986 and 1994. He was appointed Chairman of the School in 1999. He founded in 1995 and directed in 2001 the Group of Sociology of religion and secularism (EPHE-CNRS). Between 1997 and 1998, he was appointed technical adviser to the cabinet of Ségolène Royal. He was the sole member of the Stasi Commission to have abstained on the vote of the report which led to the development of the French law on secularity and conspicuous religious symbols in schools. He is also a member of the Société internationale de sociologie de la religion (SISR) and chaired the Ernest Renan society in 1995 and 1996. Baubérot was awarded a Knight in France's Legion of Honour Un christianisme profane ? Royaume de Dieu, socialisme et modernité culturelle dans le périodique « chrétien-social » L'avant-garde (1899–1911), Paris, Presses universitaires de France (Bibliothèque de l'École des Hautes Études, Section des Sciences religieuses), 1978. La laïcité quel héritage ? De 1789 à nos jours, Genève, Labor and Fides ed.
