The study of the complex ways in which the creation of Christian normativity is linked to the production of non-Christian "others" through codependent processes of religious selfing and othering lies at the heart of Marianne Moyaert's study "Christian Imaginations of the Religious Other. A History of Religionization." Through examining the discursive fabrication and separation of "good" ("true," "pure," "healthy," "sincere," "liberal," …) religion from "bad" ("false," "impure," "pernicious," "dangerous," "fanatic," …) religion amidst asymmetrical power relations it traces the genealogies of patterns that still inform the modes of perceiving, judging and dealing with religious differences in (post)secular Western societies. In the panel senior and junior scholars engaged in interreligious and intercultural dialogue settings will engage with the argument of the book from the perspective of different denominational, religious, and disciplinary backgrounds. The focus will be on the theoretical framework of the book as well as on discussing how patterns of religionization play out in different social, historical, and cultural settings, thereby intermingling with a variety of other forms of "othering" (race, gender, class, handicap etc.).

Interreligious Dialogue, International Relations, Theology