Religious Education for Muslim Chaplains in France: The Institut Al-Ghazali as a Case Study

This article examines the religious education for Muslim chaplains in France through a sociological case study of the Institut Al-Ghazali of the Grande Mosquée de Paris, considered to be one of the principal institutions for the training of imams and chaplains in France. Drawing on qualitative fieldwork, the study combines direct observation and semi-structured interviews with actors at the Institut Al-Ghazali, including students, graduates, instructors, and institutional representatives. The paper focuses also on analysing the internal curricula of this religious education intended for chaplains working in public institutions such as prisons and hospitals. The analysis of the Institute’s internal training curricula, based primarily on the lived experience, combined with participant observation and the experiences of alumni, covers the period from 1994 up to 2020. The article thus contributes to sociological debates on the institutionalisation of Islam in Francophone Europe and the professionalisation of Muslim religious leadership within the secular framework of the French Republic.