The religious wars that bloodied Europe during the modern age greatly contributed to the removal of religion from international relations. Indeed, the politicization of religion was considered dangerous and uncontrollable. Subsequently, the privatization of faith contributed to the removal of religion from the public sphere. With the September 11 attack, religion has returned to the scene in its degenerate form, that of fanaticism, from which even religions must defend themselves. However, an increasing number of international relations scholars have not stopped at the eclipse of the event, nor have religious institutions stood by helplessly watching the tragedies caused by fanaticism and religious radicalism. Coming out of a polarizing logic that posits the alternative between religion and politics, it is more useful to recognize with Felix Körner that both - religion and politics - contribute to configuring the order of the world by managing political power. In their ability to configure that order, both - religion and politics - are constructions of meaning. But how does this translate into practice? Michael Driessen's book The Global Politics of Interreligious Dialogue. Religious Change, Citizenship and Solidarity in the Middle East, Oxford University Press 2023 is part of the strand of studies analyzing the role of religion in international relations, highlighting its importance for political stability and the development of social solidarity. The volume circumscribes the interreligious and socio-political inquiry to the Middle East area and examines the experience of the Focolare Community in Algiers and that of the Adyan Foundation in Lebanon, as well as interreligious engagement in the Gulf through DICID (Qatar) and KAICIID (Saudi Arabia). In Driessen's analysis, interreligious dialogue emerges as a middle term between possible political polarizations and as a tool that can overcome political and theological barriers that seemed insurmountable.
The Global Politics of Interreligious Dialogue. Religious Change, Citizenship and Solidarity in the Middle East, Oxford University Press 2023
Debora Tonelli
In corso di stampa
Abstract
The religious wars that bloodied Europe during the modern age greatly contributed to the removal of religion from international relations. Indeed, the politicization of religion was considered dangerous and uncontrollable. Subsequently, the privatization of faith contributed to the removal of religion from the public sphere. With the September 11 attack, religion has returned to the scene in its degenerate form, that of fanaticism, from which even religions must defend themselves. However, an increasing number of international relations scholars have not stopped at the eclipse of the event, nor have religious institutions stood by helplessly watching the tragedies caused by fanaticism and religious radicalism. Coming out of a polarizing logic that posits the alternative between religion and politics, it is more useful to recognize with Felix Körner that both - religion and politics - contribute to configuring the order of the world by managing political power. In their ability to configure that order, both - religion and politics - are constructions of meaning. But how does this translate into practice? Michael Driessen's book The Global Politics of Interreligious Dialogue. Religious Change, Citizenship and Solidarity in the Middle East, Oxford University Press 2023 is part of the strand of studies analyzing the role of religion in international relations, highlighting its importance for political stability and the development of social solidarity. The volume circumscribes the interreligious and socio-political inquiry to the Middle East area and examines the experience of the Focolare Community in Algiers and that of the Adyan Foundation in Lebanon, as well as interreligious engagement in the Gulf through DICID (Qatar) and KAICIID (Saudi Arabia). In Driessen's analysis, interreligious dialogue emerges as a middle term between possible political polarizations and as a tool that can overcome political and theological barriers that seemed insurmountable.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
