A secular sanctuary for the religious sciences: critical notes

The 150-year anniversary of the founding of the ``Ecole pratique des Hautes etudes'' was marked by the publication of a monumental commemorative book. Paging through it, we can measure the significant role played by this famous Parisian institution in the development of the sciences of religions, even beyond the limits of the dedicated research department. Among the staff, there has always been a notable number of scholars coming from liberal Protestantism and enlightened Judaism, or clergymen in disagreement with dogmatic statements. In addition to studies of belief systems themselves, the field of religious sciences also nurtured the philological study of ancient holy texts, as well as a forward-thinking ethnological approach. Although they may be highly technical, the results of these immense efforts have sometimes reached a surprisingly broad readership.