Launched in January 2017, INTER-RELIGIO ‘Sharing religions and convictions’ is a cross-border inter-university network that aims to respond to the coexistence of religions in our societies challenges, by academic reflection.
This project is led by a consortium of five universities and a private institution, located on the Upper Rhine territory. The offer of training in university theology and religious sciences is particularly diversified in this geographical area, which concentrates all the resources to meet the requirements of the INTER-RELIGIO project. These disciplinary approaches and fields of expertise have rarely been associated in public universities to date.
A consortium of five universities from France, Germany and Switzerland is committed to rise to this challenge with knowledge exchange, research and excellence education, and cutting-edge innovation. This project is led by a consortium of five universities and a private institution, located on the Upper Rhine territory. The offer of training in university theology and religious sciences is particularly diversified in this geographical area, which concentrates all the resources to meet the requirements of the INTER-RELIGIO project. These disciplinary approaches and fields of expertise have rarely been associated in public universities so far.
“Religious pluralism is now an essential element of Western societies. It is characterized not only by the existence of a plurality of religious groups, often crossed by multiple currents, but also by the diversity of believers’ experiences and sometimes antagonistic positions, ranging from conditional liberalism to intransigence. This situation, which can be a source of tension, cannot be ignored by academics. On the contrary, it presupposes a fundamental academic reflection questioning the very foundations of interreligious dialogue by going beyond the method of presenting, in a juxtaposed manner, each religious group concerned. The universities of the Upper Rhine region are a pole capable of meeting this challenge.”
Professor Francis Messner, coordinator of the INTER-RELIGIO project
Because of the different interpretations of secularism, these disciplinary approaches and fields of expertise have rarely been associated in State universities until now. The INTER-RELIGIO initiative represents a real innovation with the development of a range of educational and research programs on contemporary inter-religious issues. It could constitute an European model In the long term, for the study and the teaching of inter-religious relations at university level.
“Religious pluralism is now an essential element of Western societies. It is characterized not only by the existence of a plurality of religious groups, often crossed by multiple trends, but also by the diversity of believers’ experiences and sometimes antagonistic positions, ranging from conditional liberalism to intransigence. This situation, which can be a source of tension, cannot be ignored by academics. On the contrary, it presupposes a fundamental academic reflection questioning the very foundations of interreligious dialogue by going beyond the method of presenting, in a juxtaposed manner, each religious group concerned. The universities of the Upper Rhine region are a pole capable of meeting this challenge.”
Professor Francis Messner, coordinator of the INTER-RELIGIO project