Church and state in Western Europe: problems of interaction

Purpose: To trace the main trends and nature of changes in the sphere of legal regulation of state-church relations in individual countries of Western Europe. Methodology: The methodological basis of research is the complex of General scientific methods like analysis, synthesis, comparison, abstraction; and special methods - historical, systematic-structural, comparative legal. Results:The current state of legal regulation in the sphere of relations between the state and the Church testifies to the transformation of the established model of state-church relations in a number of European countries, reflecting the dualism of traditions and inevitable innovations. Novelty/originality/value: Special interest is in the experience of those states that, following democratic principles of recognition of freedom of conscience and freedom of religion, preserve the historically established traditions of state confessional politics in relations with the institutions of the church.