Faculteit voor Vergelijkende Godsdienstwetenschappen Antwerpen

De FVG is de enige instelling in Vlaanderen waar je kan studeren over alle grote godsdiensten en levensbeschouwingen op wetenschappelijke én pluralistische basis: de studie van het christendom in al zijn vormen en kerken, de godsdienst van de islam en zijn vele aspecten van soennieten, sjiieten en soefi bewegingen, joodse religie en spiritualiteit, mystiek, gnostiek, mythologie, boeddhisme, hindoe, sikh, baha’i, Afro-Amerikaanse religie, humanisme…

In de wereld van vandaag komen religie en cultuur voortdurend met elkaar in contact. Zonder vooringenomenheid wil de FVG je inleiden in de wereld van de religies en levensbeschouwingen. Dàt is voor ons vergelijkende godsdienstwetenschap: we bieden kennis over de diverse godsdiensten aan en stimuleren de studenten om zélf tot comparatieve studie te komen.

Als onafhankelijke, pluralistische instelling, behoren we tot geen enkele zuil, ideologie, kerk of filosofische overtuiging. Bekeringsijver is bij ons uit den boze, ook al geven onze docenten les "van binnen uit" en komt ook de praktische beleving aan bod van de diverse godsdiensten en levensbeschouwingen .

Onze pluralistische en open interculturele benadering wil aanzetten tot "actieve tolerantie": de ander leren kennen om zo meteen de eigen waarden en leefgewoonten te herontdekken, beter te begrijpen en reliëf te geven.

Behalve onderwijsinstelling en centrum voor godsdienstvergelijkend wetenschappelijk onderzoek wil de FVG ook een forum zijn voor daadwerkelijke interlevensbeschouwelijke ontmoeting.

Faculty for Comparative Study of Religions Antwerp

The FVG is the only institution in Flanders, where you can study all the great religions and philosophies on a scientific and pluralistic basis: the study of Christianity in all its forms and churches, the religion of Islam and its many aspects of Sunnis, Shiites and Sufi movements, Jewish religion and spirituality, mysticism, Gnosticism, mythology, Buddhism, Hindu, Sikh, Baha'i, African-American religion, humanism...

In today's world, religion and culture are in constant contact. Without prejudice the FVG aims to introduce you into the world of religions and philosophies. That's our definition of comparative study of religions: we offer knowledge about the various religions and encourage the students to independently adopt the comparative study themselves.

As an independent, pluralistic institution, we do not belong to any movement, ideology, church or philosophical beliefs. Proselytism is out of the question for us, even though our professors teach "from within" and the practical experience of the various religions and philosophies is also part of the curriculum.

Our pluralistic and open intercultural approach aims to encourage the students in "active tolerance": to get to know the other in order to at once rediscover, better understand and put into perspective their own values and lifestyles.

Apart from being an educational and religious center for comparative scientific research, the FVG also aims to be a forum for effective inter-religious encounter.

Faculté des Sciences Religieuses Comparatives Anvers

La FVG est la seule institution en Flandre, où vous pouvez étudier toutes les grandes religions et philosophies sur une base scientifique et pluraliste: l'étude du christianisme sous toutes ses formes et églises, la religion de l'Islam et ses nombreux aspects de sunnites, chiites et des mouvements soufis, la religion et la spiritualité juives, le mysticisme, la gnose, la mythologie, le bouddhisme, le hindouisme, le sikhisme, le bahaïe, la religion afro-américaine, l'humanisme...

Dans le monde contemporain, la religion et la culture sont constamment en contact. Sans aucun préjudice la FVG aime vous introduire dans le monde des religions et des philosophies. C'est notre définition des sciences religieuses comparatives: nous offrons la théorie sur les diverses religions et nous encourageons les étudiants à indépendamment adopter eux-mêmes une étude comparative.

En tant qu'organisation indépendante et pluraliste, nous n’appartenons à aucun mouvement, aucune idéologie, aucune église ni philosophie quelconque. Le prosélytisme n’a aucune place chez nous, même si nos professeurs donnent cours "de l'intérieur" et l'expérience pratique des différentes religions et philosophies fait également partie du curriculum.

Notre approche pluraliste, ouverte et interculturelle aime encourager la "tolérance active": faire connaissance de l'autre afin de redécouvrir instamment les propres valeurs et modes de vie, afin de mieux les comprendre et les mettre en perspective.

En dehors de son rôle de centre éducatif et religieux pour la recherche scientifique comparative, la FVG aime également se présenter comme un forum pour une véritable rencontre interreligieuse.

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	Introduction by Jeremy Rosen, Chairman
	Spoken Introduction

The Faculty For Comparative Study of Religions FVG is unique amongst academic institutions because it teaches comparative religion in a way no other institution does. Religions can be taught in two ways.
As a purely cultural phenomena, subjected to objective academic and historical analysis. The weakness of this is comparable to studying Music on the basis of musical scores without ever hearing a note played.

Alternatively religions are often taught by religious institutions which have a prior commitment to a specific theology and ritual and make no pretence of comparison or balance. That is like listening to music but not being able to determine who the composer was or understand the structure of the notes.

The FVG was founded to teach religion in such way as to merge both these different approaches.

At the FVG a religion is taught by someone committed to it. This way our students receive a far deeper understanding of the religion itself, than when it is taught clinically and without emotional understanding. In addition religions are taught critically and comparatively so that students gain a perspective that is less closed and limited and enables one to see beyond the specific to the universal.

Within the world we live, this approach is making a valuable contribution to the relationship between religions and between people of different religions who can see both common ideals and practices, what unites religions as much as what divides them. The approach of the FVG instills a respect for others and for other religious cultures. Nothing could be more important than this for the future health and wellbeing of our society.

The FVG may be a baby in comparison to the major academic institutions of Europe but its unique approach to religions makes it so special that nowhere else in the world is there any institution that does what we do. Given our size and meager resources we have brought together an outstanding and multi facetted faculty as well as an international mix of students.

And all this takes place in Wilrijk, a historical suburb of Antwerp, which places it in the centre of one of the most important religious crossroads of Europe. It is indeed very special.