When we think of religious traditions and identities we may think of things being transferred from the past, preserving continuity with a founding source. However, when we study tradition we just as much need to take into account the discontinuities that are present. Tradition often means claiming a certain representation of the past and it is the task of the researcher to deconstruct this image. Programme leader: Fred van Lieburg
The ongoing mediatization of religion poses interesting contrasts. While in some part of the world 10.000 people gather for a church service, in another part of the world people watch this same service on a screen. Are these people part of the same event? Does this religious practice have the same meaning for both audiences? Programme leader: Birgit Meyer
Discussions about religious dress at work, the insurance of alternative therapy by insurance companies, the pedagogical role of migrant churches – many religious themes have entered the public sphere in the last decades. To what extent does this lead to conflicts between state and religions, and between citizens? What kind of models do we need to overcome these conflicts? Programme leader: Henk Vroom
When we study religion and culture we are constantly confronted with different moral packages, experiences and truth claims. Researchers have different ways of dealing with this, some with explicit distance, others with detached participation or critical engagement. This process becomes more exciting when these different methods start asking each other questions. Programme leader: Ad Verbrugge
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