Religious Freedom and Diplomacy

International audienceThis entry examines the relationship between diplomacy and religious freedom in the modern and contemporary eras. It considers in particular the development of the “right of chapel” from the time of the Wars of Religion in Europe, and the way in which the existence of this right contributed to the accommodation of religious dissent. This analysis throws light on one of the lesser‐known chapters in the history of religious freedom and allows us to assess the role that diplomacy has played, and can continue to play, in the promotion of this freedom. Some of the historical conditions which led to the recognition of the “extraterritoriality” of the embassy are also considered