The Faculty Research Colloquium will combine historical, socio-anthropological, and comparative approaches; it will use historical examples in order to reach a better understanding of the dynamics that underlie processes of religious change. The interdisciplinary structure of the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies provides an excellent framework for this research.
Among the questions and topics that will be addressed are the following:
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What are the driving forces that lead to the emergence or disappearance of religious communities?
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When religious communities emerge out of older communities—or 'traditions'—what characterizes the 'new' religion as 'new'? What are the 'negotiations of identity' that are operative in this process?
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The Annales School introduced the term longue durée into academic parlance. What distinguishes the endurance of elements of religious tradition from elements that are subject to rapid change?
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From a sociological perspective, does the form of religious communities influence their development (new forms of religious Vergemeinschaftung [Max Weber] can lead to new forms of religious community or even 'religion')?
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Can religions 'die' into new forms, such as philosophy, art, science, media, or popular culture?
These—and related—questions will be addressed against the background of the expertise that is represented in the Faculty. Distinguished international scholars will be invited to give lectures and to offer master classes for graduate students. A workshop in 2013 will conclude the Faculty Research Colloquium.
