TLRH | Religion on the Move: Forming Identities in a Changing Society

Recorded March 25, 2021. A panel discussion as part of the 'Trinity and the Changing City' Series in partnership with Trinity Long Room Hub. For centuries, religions travelled with people who moved across the globe – in search of work, food, safety or freedom. But religion also moves people: literally, when going on pilgrimages and mission; and emotionally, when religion provides an anchor for building a new life, or when it triggers emotions of hate and hostility. Astonishingly, research on migration to Europe has long underestimated religion as a factor. The expectation was that people and their religions would soon “go home” again; notions of Europe as a Christian occident or a homogenous culture where religion is a private matter had to be challenged in many ways. This evening focuses on how we as a society respond to the increased mobility and the pluralisation of worldviews we witness. We want to face the challenge, on one hand, not to “religionise” migration and the people and conflicts that may be involved but yet, on the other hand, include religion as an important element of cultures and identities that come together in a fast-changing world. About the Speakers Dr Peter J. Bräunlein has done extensive fieldwork on cultures of pain and Christian rituals that connect Europe and the Philippines; he was the curator of the University Museum of Religions in Marburg, Germany and specialises in questions of religion and media, expositions and the uncertainties of modernity. He will speak about the project ‘The Materiality of (Forced) Migration’ in Göttingen where he explores migration through the lens of “things” that people carry, lose or find. Through this lens – the emotional and practical connection people have with their objects – Peter will shed light on the role that religion plays for some who made the long journey to Europe. materialitaet-migration.de… As a political scientist, Dr Gizem Arikan was trained in Turkey and the USA. She focuses on political psychology in a comparative perspective and is interested in how people’s religiosity and political behaviour interact. For our evening, Gizem will shift the perspective: from the migrating people to the societies where they arrive. Not only does the experience of Muslim migrants shape their democratic norms; also, their identity affects the political attitudes of the majority population. blogs.lse.ac.uk… Rory O’Neill will share his experiences in his work as Integration Projects Manager for the Irish Refugee Council and how he encounters religion both as a resource and a marker of distinction. As a photographer and an anthropologist he documented the Direct Provision system and the issues people face when they try and enter the housing market and seek employment and an independent life. Rather unexpectedly, Rory works a lot with inter-faith groups and religious institutions and will talk about their role in the integration process. www.irishrefugeecouncil.ie… Satwinder Singh is a researcher and community activist who not only shares the experience of many who moved to Ireland and enrich the religious landscape of Dublin, but also holds a degree in anthropology from the Dublin Institute of Technology and studied the Dublin-based Sikh community he is part of. His work at the Centre for Socially Engaged Practice-Based Research developed insights into the history of the Sikh community and the diverse strategies developed by its members when finding their place in Irish society and coping with the challenges this includes. arrow.tudublin.ie… Learn more at: https://www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub/