Erstmals haben sich am 2. Mai in Rom auf Einladung des vatikanischen Dikasteriums für interreligiösen Dialog Christen und Hindus aus Europa ausgetauscht. Organisiert war das Treffen in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Hindu Forum of Europe, der italienischen Hindu Union und dem Ökumenischen Rat der Kirchen. Unter den rund 50 Teilnehmern aus Europa war auch Helmut Zander, Professor für Religionswissenschaften an der Université de Fribourg in der Schweiz. Wir haben ihn zum Interview ins Radio eingeladen.
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The Nons
Online workshop within the cooperation between the Universities of Manila, Ibadan and Fribourg in the research-programme "Global Catholicism"
April 27th, 2023
Secularisation seemed to be a temporary phenomenon. The fact that a larger number of people did not belong to any religious community, as in the Soviet Union or other communist countries, could be considered a phenomenon of the past after 1989. But sociological data suggest a different development: the number of "nons", of people who do not belong to any religious community or see themselves as agnostics or atheists, is relatively stable – and their number is growing. And the conviction that this is a phenomenon in Western countries, seems to be weakly substantiated either. Especially if – for example – this decline is related to general individualization, one has to discuss whether such developments could then also increase outside Western countries.
We will explore these questions in the transcontinental workshop on the "nons". On the one hand, the discussion will be about perceiving and interpreting developments in the sociology of religion in three countries: the Philippines, Nigeria, and Switzerland. Then we will explore the fundamental question of whether these secularisation processes are regional or global developments. Fundamental assessments of the worldwide development of religions and their social significance depend on the answer to this question.
The event is also part of a program of research on global Catholicism, which is the largest single religious community in the world, but widely poorly researched.
Credit points are awarded according to the rules of the respective universities.
The students of Université de Fribourg can receive 1.5 points for their participation in the workshop and the subsequent completion of a short paper (Hausarbeit) of no more (!) than ten pages.
For registration and more information please contact Viktoria Vitanova-Kerber victoria.vitanova-kerber@unifr.ch