ABSTRACT
Chapter 1 maps the policy instruments that cities most commonly deploy to govern religion. Drawing on fieldwork in Rennes, Bordeaux and Toulouse, four types of instruments are identified: 1) regulatory documents, 2) policies for the allocation of material resources to religious groups, 3) symbolic policies and 4) instruments fostering the political participation of religious groups. Moreover, the chapter also shows that cities differ in their approaches to religious diversity and proposes a typology of patterns of governance. Finally, contextual conditions, such as the religious history of the city and the history of relations between political actors and the Catholic Church and a tradition of interfaith dialogue, are identified as key factors in shaping each individual city’s approach.
