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Decolonizing Interreligious Studies - Research Team

The Research Team Decolonizing Interreligious Studies brings together (inter)religious studies scholars, philosophers and theologians, with an interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary interest in critical theory- critical race; studies, postcolonial, gender, queer studies and critical pedagogy.

Since the turn of the 21st century, interfaith/interreligious initiatives are rapidly proliferating. Dialogue (broadly understood) is seen as a means to contribute to the social cohesion of our pluralizing societies. The general thrust is that dialogue happens in a safe space where people who orient around religion differently may meet as equals and exchange beliefs and practices.

While the researchers in this research group emphasize the importance of interfaith encounters in terms of a reciprocal encounter between equals who orient around religion differently, they also question if “the conditions under which the assumedly equal dialogue takes place, and the positions of the self and the other (asymmetrically) constructed in such encounters, are … insufficiently problematized” (Riitaoja & Dervin 2014, 77-78). This lack of problematization could result in the perpetuation of inequality. Unless interreligious initiatives are inspired by a strife for justice, their transformative potential may be diminished and the allegedly safe space may turn into a fake space.

To enhance the transformative potential of interreligious encounters, we seek to surface, explore, and question some of the normative assumptions about religion (what it is and should be), dialogue and diversity that are deeply ingrained in the sociopolitical imagination of Western liberal democracies and how these normative assumptions privilege some while they disadvantage others. We seek to deconstruct the common sense discourses about good/bad religion, the (return of the) problem of religion, migration and pluralization analyse how these discourses to this day are implicated in the production of unequal power relations (Fitzgerald 2015, 303).

Research Team - Decolonizing interreligious studies

  • Mission

    Since the turn of the 21st century, interfaith/interreligious initiatives are rapidly proliferating. Dialogue (broadly understood) is seen as a means to contribute to the social cohesion of our pluralizing societies. The general thrust is that dialogue happens in a safe space where people who orient around religion differently may meet as equals and exchange beliefs and practices.

    While the researchers in this research group emphasize the importance of interfaith encounters in terms of a reciprocal encounter between equals who orient around religion differently, they also think that the conditions under which equal dialogue is supposed to take place are not sufficiently problematized. This lack of problematization could result in the perpetuation of inequality. Unless interreligious initiatives are inspired by strife for justice, their transformative potential may be diminished and the allegedly safe space may turn into a fake space.

    To enhance the transformative potential of interreligious encounters, we seek to surface, explore, and question some of the normative assumptions about religion (what it is and should be), dialogue and diversity that are deeply ingrained in the sociopolitical imagination of Western liberal democracies and how these normative assumptions privilege some while they disadvantage others. 

  • Aim

    This Research Team studies the hegemonic norms, ideas regarding (good and bad) religion, race and gender and how they impact both theories and practices of interfaith learning. How may we understand Christian hegemony and privilege in light of secularization and pluralization? What is the relation between religion and race (with a specific focus on islamophobia and antisemitism)? What are the connections between the humanist/personalist rhetoric of dialogue and the Protestant legacy of (inter)religious studies? How does the Christo-secular norm influence interfaith programming, whether negatively or positively? How may a critical analysis of the categories of pluralism, dialogue, religion, faith, belief increase diversity and inclusion? 

  • Team Members

  • Research Projects

    This research team seeks to deconstruct the common sense discourses about good/bad religion, the (return of the) problem of religion, migration, and pluralization analyze how these discourses to this day are implicated in the production of unequal power relations.

    Projects that are developed in the context of this group are:

    • A book proposal on “The European Question; Race, the coloniality of religio-secularism and the role of the humanities” (Yolande Jansen)
    • A monograph on “The History of Religionization” (Marianne Moyaert)
    • VIDI project on Mixed Christian-Jewish and Christian-Muslim Relations (Marianne Moyaert)
    • A VIDI proposal on Christian activism as a practice and a theology (Mariecke van den Berg)
  • Disciplines

    Social and political philosophy, in particular critical theory, (comparative theology) of religions, critical pedagogy, queer theory, feminist and postcolonial studies.

  • Possible thesis topics

    • Religio-racial project (in different contexts)
    • Christian privilege/Christosecularity
    • Genealogies of secularism
    • Critical interfaith pedagogy
    • Interfaith leadership
    • Genealogy of islamophobia and antisemitism, Judaism in Europe
    • Islam in Europe
    • Mixedness scholarship (mixed marriages)
    • Pluralism, multiculturalism, and democracy
    • Humanism and religion
    • Migration
    • Church and decolonization
    • Feminist and Queer theological perspectives (e.g. Biblical narratives, Bible translations, liturgy, etc.)Framing conservative religion (e.g. Nashville controversy)
    • Spirituality/liturgy/prefiguration in anti-racism movements like BLM
  • Possible PhD Topics

    see above

  • Collaboration Senior and Junior Researchers

    The group meets every 4 weeks. Junior scholars actively participate in the research group. Their work and progress is our priority.

    Alternately

    • We read chapters and articles together
    • We invite scholarly experts to give presentations 
    • We discuss paper/article/project drafts in a collegial and constructive manner
  • Connection with education

    This research group is connected to the Master program Interreligious Studies (coordinator M. Moyaert). This master track (one year and two year) and the interfaith leadership program Emoena (Dutch). The master students of Interreligious studies are also invited to participate

  • Connection with centers/institutes

    The research group is connected to ACCORD: The Amsterdam Centre for the Study of Cultural and Religious Diversity.