Xensophia and Xenophobia in and between the Abrahamatic Religions

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Heinz Streib
• Subject Area: Protestant Theology
• Term: from 2011 to 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 194658256

This project investigates, in cross-religious – and hopefully later cross-cultural – comparison, xenophobic and xenosophic attitudes using implicit, explicit and biographical-reconstructive research instruments. Religious schemata are assessed, which are hypothesized to function as mediators for xenophobic and xenosophic attitudes. Special attention deserve the psychological, sociological and biographical contexts as correlates and predictors of xenophobia and xenosophia. 1,000 persons in Germany participate in an Internet-based study in which latent prejudice toward other religions is investigated by a reaction time experiment, the Abrahamitic Religions Xenophobia Test. In this online-study, also a questionnaire will be included with scales for explicit xenophobic attitudes, for psychological and sociological predispositions, and for religious attitudes, centrality of religion and religious schemata. Out of the sample, a subsample of n=30 will be invited to participate in a personal interview which attends to biography, faith development and wisdom-related performance. Since the concept of ‘xenosophia’ has been developed in philosophy of religion, theology and religious education, results of the study are supposed to inspire new ideas in practical theology, pastoral care and counseling, and in religious education. In wider perspective, the relation of predictors, mediators and xenophobic, resp. xenosophic attitudes opens new perspectives on the relation of religion and violence, and on intervention options in respective praxis fields.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Israel
• Participating Person: Professor Dr. Yisrael Rich