Ernest Renan Society

The Ernest Renan Society (Société Ernest Renan), also known as the Société française d'histoire des religions (SFHR), is a French learned society founded in 1919 and based in Paris. It is named after Ernest Renan, the nineteenth-century French scholar, philologist, and historian of religion. The society's principal domain of activity is religious history, and it functions as a voluntary association bringing together scholars and enthusiasts of the history of religions. The society is listed in the Annuaire des sociétés savantes maintained by the Comité des travaux historiques et scientifiques (CTHS), an institute attached to the École nationale des chartes. Its archives for the period 1919 to 1987 were deposited by the society itself at the Institut des études sémitiques of the Collège de France on 16 September 1988, though the effective conservation of these archives by the institute has not been confirmed. Archives covering 1974 to 1996 are held at the archives of the École pratique des hautes études (EPHE) on the Condorcet campus. As a learned society, the Ernest Renan Society contributes to the study and dissemination of religious history in France. It is part of a broader network of French sociétés savantes that the CTHS documents and supports. The society remains active, with its historical records accessible to the public in part, reflecting its ongoing role in the French academic landscape.

The Ernest Renan Society was founded in 1919 in Paris as a French voluntary association dedicated to the history of religions. It is named after Ernest Renan (1823–1892), a prominent French philosopher, philologist, and historian of religion whose work on early Christianity and the life of Jesus had a lasting influence on religious studies. The society also operates under the name Société française d'histoire des religions (SFHR), reflecting its focus on the French tradition of religious history. Throughout the twentieth century, the society served as a meeting point for scholars interested in the historical study of religions. Its archives, dating from 1919 to 1987, were deposited by the society at the Institut des études sémitiques of the Collège de France on 16 September 1988. However, the effective conservation of these archives by the institute has not been confirmed. Additional archives covering the period 1974 to 1996 are preserved at the archives of the École pratique des hautes études (EPHE) on the Condorcet campus, where they are accessible to the public. The society is listed in the Annuaire des sociétés savantes of the Comité des travaux historiques et scientifiques (CTHS), an institute attached to the École nationale des chartes. This listing places it within the official French network of learned societies. The CTHS documents and supports such societies, and the Ernest Renan Society's inclusion indicates its recognized status in the French academic community. As of the present, the Ernest Renan Society remains an active learned society, contributing to the field of religious history in France. Its archives provide valuable resources for researchers studying the history of religions and the institutional history of French scholarship.

• 1988

  The society deposits its archives for 1919–1987 at the Institut des études sémitiques of the Collège de France on 16 September.

• 1919

  The Ernest Renan Society is founded in Paris as a French learned society for the history of religions.

French learned society for the history of religions, affiliated with the CTHS network.

1. 1CTHS - Société Ernest Renan (SFHR) - PARIScths.fr
2. 2CTHS - Histoire du CTHScths.fr
3. 3Wikidata - Ernest Renan Societywikidata.org
4. 4CTHS - Association internationale pour l'histoire des religions (IAHR) - TOKYOcths.fr