Constellations of the Relation of Religious Minorities and Majorities in Plural Societies

• Applicant: Dr. Sarah Jahn, since 9/2022
• Subject Area: Religious Studies and Jewish Studies
• Term: from 2019 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 419377415

The Network investigates how religious minorities and majorities constitute each other discursively, i.e. how they understand themselves and how they are perceived and addressed as such by other parts of society. With its focus on religious institutions, networks, and movements, the Network's first goal is to identify religious minority-majority constellations (MMCs) and reveal not only how they see themselves as distinct from the majority of society, but also as distinct from or connected to other religious minorities or majorities. The underlying working hypothesis of the Network's members is that minorities and majorities are most likely to understand themselves or be labeled by others as religious as a way to avoid labels based on ethnic, political, socio-economic, or other traits and conceal certain differing interests. The second goal is to understand the consequences for the perception of MMCs and their religious, social, and political status. For example, political and social debates often portray a monocultural nation, either Judeo-Christian or secular, as the norm. Attempts to preserve or restore this allegedly normative state result in boundaries being drawn against other religious and cultural identities. In this context, the idea of a multicultural society is a perspective that gives minorities too much attention or a disproportionate claim to equal rights. People are increasingly being classified in media and political discourse on the basis of their (supposed) religious affiliation ("the Muslims", "the Jews"). Aspects of everyday life and public institutions are being declared as places to erect religiously significant symbols (see the crucifix debate in Bavaria). And interreligious dialogue is postulated as a solution for peaceful coexistence. Germans are negotiating how to handle minority religious identities, especially in institutions such as schools, government agencies, and even the state churches. The Network seeks to expand the current state of research, which often focuses only on religious minorities as such. Research has yet to address how MMCs arise in differing social formations, how they can be identified, how they are mutually dependent, and what consequences result from discursive demarcations. The results of the Network's work will be presented in workshops and at conferences as well as for discussion on its own website and in research publications.

• DFG Programme: Scientific Networks
• Ehemalige Antragstellerin: Dr. Sabrina Weiß, until 8/2022