François Houtart

François Houtart (Brussels, 1925) is a Belgian sociologist and catholic priest.

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. Objective of CETRI is to promote dialogue and corporation between third world social movements and social forces plus encourage resistance and action. Houtart is one of the most active members of the World Social Forum of Porto Alegre. Today he is very much active in the Globalisation and Ethics discourse.

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 campesino 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