The Swiss Religious Governance Model: Legal, Political and Cultural Impediments to the Integration of Diversity

Switzerland does not have an established religion; however, the system of cantonal recognition is in many respects indistinguishable. In most countries the established religion receives state aid; similarly in Switzerland, the recognised denominations of Christianity receive extensive financial and other social capital benefits. Both the established religions of western liberal countries with such a system and the recognised religions in Switzerland are experiencing rapid declines in membership due to immigration, secularisation and individuation. Recognition, unlike establishment, is not a formal acknowledgement of a religion as part of state governance. Whereas establishment is still broadly accepted amongst those nations with an establishment regime, questioning of the legitimacy of the recognition system is rising quickly. The recognition system is theoretically more flexible than establishment, but it has not proven so in reality. This article draws upon interdisciplinary research and original research to investigate the challenges of adapting the recognition system to the changing landscape and examines the impact of attempts to overcome the constraints of the recognition rules. It suggests that a better understanding of the similarity between establishment and recognition coupled with greater awareness of the hegemony of Christianity in the political discourse and cultural symbolism of Switzerland might facilitate greater possibilities of adaptation.