François Houtart

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François Houtart was born in Brussels in the year 1925. He studied philosophy and theology at the seminary of Mechelen (Belgium) and became a priest in 1949. He earned a masters degree in political and social sciences at the Catholic university of Leuven (Belgium). He earned a degree at the International Superior Institute of Urbanism (Brussels, Belgium). He earned a PhD in sociology of the Catholic University of Leuven (UCL) and he was a professor there from 1958 till 1990. He is an author and co-author of numerous publications on socio-religious matter. He has been the chief editor of the International Journal of Sociology of Religion, "Social Compass" for forty years.

He participated as a peritus expert in the sessions of Vatican II (1962-1965). Today he is director of CETRI (Centre Tricontinental) a Belgian non-governmental organization. Houtart is one of the most active members of the World Social Forum of Porto Alegre.

[edit] Publications

  • Religions and ideology in Sri Lanka, Colombo, Hansa, 1974;
  • Religion et modes de production précapitalistes, Bruxelles, editions de l'ULB, 1992;
  • Sociología de la Religión, Mexico, Plaza y Valdés, 2000;
  • El camposino como actor, Managua, Ed. Nicarao, 1982;
  • Haïti et la culture dans une commune vietnamienne, Paris, Les Indes Savantes, 2004;
  • Mondialisation des Résistances (with Samir Amin), Paris, L'Harmattan, 2002
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