EXC 2060:  Religion and Politics. Dynamics of Tradition and Innovation

• Subject Area: History ; Ancient Cultures ; Literary Studies ; Philosophy ; Jurisprudence ; Social and Cultural Anthropology, Non-European Cultures, Jewish Studies and Religious Studies ; Social Sciences ; Theology
• Term: since 2019
• Website: Homepage
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 390726036

At the beginning of the new millennium, we are experiencing profound processes of upheaval across the world that are shattering even the most familiar "Western" axioms. It goes without saying that religion is playing a central role in these complex processes of transformation. But what is highly contested is the precise nature of this role. Is religion a genuine factor of conflict or merely a symbolic medium for the playing out of social conflicts, or even just an instrument for the pursuit of quite different (for example, political and economic) interests? Given this complexity, it is more necessary than ever to avoid simplistic causal explanations and to investigate the social conflicts of today from a perspective that has analytical distance from the object of study and is sharpened by historical research.This is the task to which the Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics” has dedicated itself since its founding ten years ago, and it has done so in interdisciplinary cooperation between scholars in the social sciences, history, law, religion, and literature, as well as philosophy and theology. The spectrum dealt with by the Cluster ranges from antiquity to the present, from Judaism, Christianity and Islam to modern forms of esotericism. But we now wish to take on the challenge of a new thematic focus. While so far our focus has been mainly on processes of exchange and demarcation between religion and politics, we now wish to turn our attention to the question of how religion can stimulate, curb and modify social and political conflicts, where its dynamic power lies, and which external conditions facilitate or restrict its capacity to mobilize people. Running counter to the claims of secularization theory, then, we will focus our attention on the active role of religion in the political and social conflicts of the past and present. In order to grasp the political and social dynamics of religion in its own simultaneity of tradition and innovation, we will map out different structural, semantic and practical tensions: between (1) transcultural entanglement and disentanglement, (2) religious diversity and legal-political unity, and (3) criticism of religion and apologetics. In doing so, we will analyze these tensions from five main theoretical perspectives: those of (A) mediality, (B) differentiation, (C) inequality, (D) conflict, and (E) emotionality.Our long-term goal is to make Münster the leading centre for interdisciplinary research on religion in Germany and Europe. The Cluster can already build on a number of sustainable structural changes at the University of Münster. In addition, a "Campus of Religions" is being established, which, by bringing old and new institutional structures together in the same space, will strengthen interdisciplinary cooperation and promote interreligious understanding.

• DFG Programme: Clusters of Excellence (ExStra)
• Applicant Institution: Universität Münster
• Spokespersons: Professor Dr. Detlef Pollack, since 10/2020; Professor Dr. Michael Seewald, since 7/2022
• Participating Researchers: Professor Dr. Thomas Bauer; Professor Dr. Albrecht Beutel; Professor Dr. Wolfram Drews; Professor Dr. Thomas Großbölting; Professorin Dr. Regina Grundmann; Professor Dr. Thomas Gutmann; Professor Dr. Johannes Hahn; Professorin Dr. Silke Hensel; Professor Dr. Mouhanad Khorchide; Professorin Dr. Katrin Kogman-Appel; Professorin Dr. Angelika Lohwasser; Professor Dr. Michael Quante; Professorin Dr. Astrid Reuter; Professor Dr. Arnulf von Scheliha; Professor Dr. Johannes Schnocks; Professorin Dorothea E. Schulz, Ph.D.; Professorin Dr. Sita Steckel; Professorin Dr. Martina Wagner-Egelhaaf; Professor Dr. Ulrich Willems; Professor Dr. Fabian Wittreck; Professor Dr. Hubert Wolf