Religion and Belief Systems

Events in history and today show vividly that religion remains one of the strongest forces in human affairs. Religions and belief systems constitute both stabilising and destabilising forces, serving as both cause for violence and source of reconciliation.

However, the recent resurgence of interest in religion and the rise of its political use, found policy makers and academics ill-equipped to understand religion as subject and object of social and cultural change. Little is known about how beliefs change and how religions are instilled, chosen, abandoned and transformed. Examples include:

• the decline of institutional Christianity in western Europe,
• the rise of new Christianities elsewhere in the world where hundreds of indigenous religions are destroyed (“decline of theo-diversity”),
• the resurgence of Christian, Muslim and other fundamentalisms,
• the emergence of multiple alternative belief systems,
• the interrelation between religion, identity and globally spreading practices of consumption and communication,
• the ability of religions to inspire extreme violence and peacefulness simultaneously;
• competing notions of the “sacred” in heterogeneous societies;
• concern with the preparedness for individual acts of self-sacrifice (“martyrdom”)

Recently, numerous research programmes on religion as a new social force in Europe have been launched at European (Norface) and at national levels (e.g.: UK, NL, CH), in universities (e.g.: Copenhagen) and in other academic centers (e.g.: Wissenschaftskolleg).

Their focus is mainly on contemporary Europe (therefore precluding the possibility to examine the specificity of Europe), with little effort being made at seeking comparative dimensions or historical depth. Entire, crucially important areas of intersections of religions and other sectors of society – law, education – are lacking appropriate research strategies.

Duration

This Forward Look will run from 1 December 2007 until 31 July 2009