Interreligious relations and governance of religion in Europe: Introduction

Abstract

In recent years, the growth and expansion of interreligious initiatives have received increasing scholarly attention worldwide, and interreligious actors and repertoires are gaining relevance within emerging governance regimes of religious diversity in Europe and beyond. However, empirical research in this field is still very limited. With the aim to fill this gap, this special issue gathers four original contributions aimed at critically describing, understanding and reflecting upon the rise of the 'interreligious sector' and its growing relevance to the governance of religious diversity in contemporary Europe. RésuméCes dernières années, l'augmentation et l'expansion des initiatives interreligieuses ont reçu une attention croissante de la part des chercheurs, et ce à l'échelle mondiale. Les acteurs religieux et leurs initiatives sont de plus en plus représentés dans les régimes gouvernementaux émergents de la diversité religieuse en Europe, et bien audelà. Cependant, ce champ de la recherche empirique reste très limité. Ce numéro thématique a pour ambition de combler cette lacune en offrant quatre contributions originales visant à la description, la compréhension et la réflexion sur l'émergence du CompassGriera and Nagel: Interreligious relations and governance of Religion in Europe editorial2018 Editorial Social Compass 65 (3) « secteur interreligieux » et sur sa pertinence croissante dans la gouvernance de la diversité religieuse en Europe contemporaine.

Negotiating Germany’s first Muslim–Christian kindergarten: Temporalities, multiplicities, and processes in interreligious dialogue

“…For religious minorities, local partnerships via dialogue constitute an opportunity to achieve pragmatic ends and assert their voices in the public domain (Davie, 2004; Griera and Forteza, 2011). Moreover, incentives for local religious actors to replace state services contributed to the de-centralization of mainline churches, providing congregations with autonomy and responsibility to be financially sustainable and cooperate with other religious groups and state bodies (Griera and Nagel, 2018; Williams et al, 2012). Hence, multilevel research on dialogue is important, due to the shift from top-down regulations to pluricentric governance networks with manifold interdependent actors, who ‘draw their legitimacy from proposing to function as a negotiation mechanism for the common good, including societal harmony and good ethnic relations’.…”

“…Established religious authorities have been seen to be detrimental for grassroots dialogue (Griera and Nagel, 2018; Klinkhammer, 2019; Klinkhammer et al, 2011; Körs, 2018). In Gifhorn, internal leadership disputes over faith-based labor rights (e.g.…”

“…A temporal and processual analysis for the study of dialogue is employed to better capture internal diversity, changing views, and coalition-building among different actors at the micro and macro levels. Definitions of dialogue often include peace prayers, joint sermons, art exhibitions, religious summits, institutionalized forms, such as religious education in schools, national events, including the German Islam Conference or global initiatives (Griera and Nagel, 2018; Klinkhammer et al, 2011). However, few concrete outcomes at the local level have been discussed in the literature, partially because dialogue results are hard to grasp and difficult to operationalize (Klinkhammer, 2019).…”

Interreligious dialogue and socio-religious dialogue in today's society

“…Thus, interreligious dialogue can also be defined as a stimulus that constantly pushes forward in the search of the truth. Viewed from this perspective, interreligious dialogue can lead to an acceptance of the other, thus building a model for a pluralistic cohabitation 5 . According to Perry Schmidt-Leukel, the primary purpose of interreligious dialogue is "the search for common truth."…”

Governing religious diversity in cities: critical perspectives

“…Nonetheless work on this specific topic is also increasing. An example of this is a recent special issue of Social Compass on 'Interreligious Relations and Governance of Religion in Europe' (Griera and Nagel 2018), which gives particular attention to local interfaith bodies.…”