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Management of Religious Diversity: Comparing and Contrasting Experiences across the...
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Management of Religious Diversity: Comparing and Contrasting Experiences across the World

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2024) | Viewed by 10335

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Roberta Ricucci

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Cultures, Politics and Society, University of Turin, 10100 Turin, Italy
Interests: migration; muslim in western countries; religion; identity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Juan Cruz Esquivel

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), University of Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
Interests: religion and politics; relationship between state and churches; studies on secularism and religious presence in the legal system

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Census data and scientific research show a growing pluralization of religious affiliations in our contemporary societies. Whether due to greater migratory flows or due to the dynamics of the religious field itself, there are numerous empirical evidence that reflect a greater heterogeneity of religious identities and a greater visibility of various religious expressions in the public space.

This scenario challenges the states in their policies to manage requests dealing with religious affairs, from building a new church, mosque or temple to introducing special dietary requirements in public schools to take into account religious identities; from opening up jails to priests, imams or monks to allows religious organizations to use public spaces for religious rites. In other words, this callout seeks discussions on how and to what extents the increasing religious pluralism (in some cases—such as Italy—due to migratory flows) requires states, at national or—more frequently— local levels to rethink the set of governmental devices—legal, symbolic, and practical—that public authorities put into play in their relationship with religious institutions.

This Special Issue invites papers on the management of religious diversity, mainly invoking studies that have researched the subject at a local level and/or advanced level in comparative studies.

It is interesting to reflect on the experiences of managing religious diversity in the institutional relationship between local/national administrations and religious organizations, as well as in the educational, health, penitentiary and labor spheres.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • The management of religious pluralism
  • Religious organizations and their relations with national and/or local administrations
  • Religious and civic engagement
  • Migrant religion and societal inclusion
  • Faith, ethnicity and discrimination

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Roberta Ricucci
Prof. Dr. Juan Cruz Esquivel
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • management of religious diversity
  • state
  • local level
  • comparative studies
  • integration
  • discrimination
  • religious minorities

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 250 KiB  
Article
Management of Religious Diversity in Chile: Experiences from Local Governments
by Nelson Marín Alarcón and Luis Bahamondes González
Religions 2025, 16(4), 535; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16040535 - 21 Apr 2025
Viewed by 232
Abstract
This article analyzes the origins, characteristics, and functioning of the Chilean public institutions dedicated to managing religious diversity at the municipal level. Paying attention to the effects produced by the promulgation of the 1999 Cults Law, the text problematizes how the tensions between [...] Read more.
This article analyzes the origins, characteristics, and functioning of the Chilean public institutions dedicated to managing religious diversity at the municipal level. Paying attention to the effects produced by the promulgation of the 1999 Cults Law, the text problematizes how the tensions between political, technical, and religious elements affect the daily functioning of the Municipal Offices of Religious Affairs (OMARs in Spanish). Here, the influence of evangelical pressure groups seeking to position themselves at the level of local politics meets local governments led by mayors searching to expand their access to forms of organized citizenship. The article is based on a historical review of the forms of religious management in Chile and interviews with those in charge of the OMARs in communes of the city of Santiago. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Management of Religious Diversity: Comparing and Contrasting Experiences across the World)
28 pages, 288 KiB  
Article
We Are Not One, We Are Legion—Secular State in Mexico, Local Dynamics of a Federal Issue
by Felipe Gaytan Alcala
Religions 2025, 16(3), 304; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030304 - 27 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 880
Abstract
The management of laicity in Mexico, legally and politically, is a federal issue that involves regulating the activities of Churches and religious communities in the public space, in their practices, rituals, and relations with the organs of the state. However, in recent years, [...] Read more.
The management of laicity in Mexico, legally and politically, is a federal issue that involves regulating the activities of Churches and religious communities in the public space, in their practices, rituals, and relations with the organs of the state. However, in recent years, the growing presence and activity of Churches at the local level has called into question the need to observe how laicity is managed by subnational governments, both state and municipal. Are there mechanisms at the local level to regulate the presence of religion in the public space? How are religious traditions presented as culturally managed? What are the demands of Churches on local authorities and what is their political relationship with them? How is the demand for religious freedom resolved locally without violating citizens’ other freedoms, such as the freedom of conscience in issues such as education, health, traffic, and freedom of expression? All this has put into perspective whether laicity and the secular state should continue to be a national dimension or whether it is necessary to rethink legal and political forms at the local level, building new frameworks of governance and governability. This text reviews the public management of laicity in eight entities of the country, which in turn is representative of the rest of the entities with their local variations. However, they generally move in the constant dimensions of religious diversity, interreligious councils, offices, or those in charge of religious affairs, and levels of municipal participation. The construction of a new laicity is then proposed, which does not exclude religion from the public agenda but rather a new secular perspective on the participation of religious communities in public affairs. From a Latin American perspective, Mexico is seen as an effective government regime that separates religion from politics, restricting the participation of religious organizations in the public agenda. However, at the local level, this regime is changing with the inclusion of faith-based organizations in politics. This will undoubtedly lead to a change in the historical concept, a reference point in the region. The term management of laicity refers to the regulation and administration of governments (services, legal support, spaces, and dialogues) with religious communities. Management (control, regulation, permits, sanctions, and recognition) is defined by law and in public policy towards religion from the federal government, but not in local governments that lack clear regulatory frameworks, intervention guidelines, and support, hence the emphasis on the term. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Management of Religious Diversity: Comparing and Contrasting Experiences across the World)
18 pages, 873 KiB  
Article
Religious Governance in Interaction: Network Analysis of Public Management of Religion in Province of Buenos Aires (Argentina)
by Mariela Analía Mosqueira and Marcos Andrés Carbonelli
Religions 2025, 16(3), 269; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030269 - 21 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1636
Abstract
Despite the unchanged nature of the general regulatory framework, the last decade has witnessed the emergence of new forms of governance over religious affairs at the local and provincial levels in Buenos Aires (Argentina). These initiatives constitute, on the one hand, a response [...] Read more.
Despite the unchanged nature of the general regulatory framework, the last decade has witnessed the emergence of new forms of governance over religious affairs at the local and provincial levels in Buenos Aires (Argentina). These initiatives constitute, on the one hand, a response to the demands presented by religious groups that were once invisible and experiencing marked demographic growth. On the other hand, they are a way of integrating religious expertise into territorial governance strategies, given the structural ineffectiveness of public policies in locally grounding them. In view of this scenario, this article will present a network and dynamic analysis of the public management of religion at the local and intermediate levels in the province of Buenos Aires. Specifically, we will give an account of the genesis of these state units, as well as the profiles of the political decision makers who direct them and the interactions between local and provincial religious affairs officials in the period of 2022–2023. Based on these data, we will evaluate the levels of innovation that these regulations present with respect to the general normative framework and the limits and advantages that they postulate in the face of the question of religious citizenship. In methodological terms, this research combines the analysis of secondary sources, participant observation, in-depth interviews, and network analysis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Management of Religious Diversity: Comparing and Contrasting Experiences across the World)
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7 pages, 225 KiB  
Article
From Existence to Being: Reflections on the Transformation of Personal Identity Through Confrontation with Cultural, Religious, and Spiritual Diversity
by Martin Dojčár and Rastislav Nemec
Religions 2024, 15(12), 1467; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15121467 - 1 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1501
Abstract
(1) Background: This study describes an exploration of the potential of cultural, religious, and spiritual diversity to trigger one’s psychological self-image and open the possibility of personal identity transformation as a tool for deep intercultural, interreligious, and interspiritual dialog (2) Results: The study [...] Read more.
(1) Background: This study describes an exploration of the potential of cultural, religious, and spiritual diversity to trigger one’s psychological self-image and open the possibility of personal identity transformation as a tool for deep intercultural, interreligious, and interspiritual dialog (2) Results: The study provides a philosophical argument for understanding the existential experience of the “unknown” as a stimulus for critical reflection or even for the transformation of personal identity of the individuals involved in such interactions. (3) Methods: The method of phenomenological analysis was employed in this theoretical research. (4) Conclusions: The circumstances were philosophically considered under which the existential experience of the unknown in intercultural, interreligious, and interspiritual contexts can facilitate processes of critical reflection or the transformation of personal identity based on the philosophical distinction between ontic and ontological identity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Management of Religious Diversity: Comparing and Contrasting Experiences across the World)
18 pages, 390 KiB  
Article
Liberal Citizenship Through the Prism of Shia Jurisprudence: Embracing Fundamental over Partial Solutions
by Javad Fakhkhar Toosi
Religions 2024, 15(12), 1457; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15121457 - 29 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1097
Abstract
This article explores the compatibility of liberal citizenship with Twelver Shia jurisprudence, a topic previously analyzed from the perspective of Sunni schools, most notably in the extensive research of Andrew F. March. This study confronts the challenges of reconciling liberal citizenship with Islamic [...] Read more.
This article explores the compatibility of liberal citizenship with Twelver Shia jurisprudence, a topic previously analyzed from the perspective of Sunni schools, most notably in the extensive research of Andrew F. March. This study confronts the challenges of reconciling liberal citizenship with Islamic jurisprudence, as highlighted in March’s work, through the lens of Shia legal thought. Rather than aiming to critique or review March’s research, this article considers his work solely as a representative example addressing the topic from the perspective of Sunni jurisprudence. This approach provides readers with a fundamental contrast, illuminating the unique insights that emerge from examining the subject within the framework of Shia jurisprudence. Unlike Sunni jurisprudence, which addresses these issues case-by-case by reviewing relevant Quranic and narrational sources, Twelver Shia jurisprudence offers a more foundational resolution. Owing to the belief in the occultation of the twelfth Imam and its implications for the implementation of Islamic law, Shia scholars have advanced theories such as the theory of obstruction (insidād) and the suspension of the social and political dimensions of Sharia. These theories effectively narrow the scope of Sharia, allowing for the acceptance of laws from non-Islamic states and circumventing potential conflicts with liberal citizenship in the absence of the twelfth Imam. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Management of Religious Diversity: Comparing and Contrasting Experiences across the World)
25 pages, 374 KiB  
Article
The Regulation of Religion through National Normative Frameworks: A Comparative Analysis between Italy and Argentina
by Luca Bossi and María Pilar García Bossio
Religions 2024, 15(7), 799; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070799 - 29 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1562
Abstract
The normative framework is one of the constitutive edges of state regulation of religion. It contributes to the configuration of different forms of relations between state and religions. This can be observed in at least three areas. First, in the way the state [...] Read more.
The normative framework is one of the constitutive edges of state regulation of religion. It contributes to the configuration of different forms of relations between state and religions. This can be observed in at least three areas. First, in the way the state defines religion. Second, in the way it recognises and legislates its relationship with different religions. Finally, in the rules it establishes for confessional institutions and actors at different levels of social life (education, health, prisons, etc.). In this article, we propose to comparatively analyse the national legal systems that regulate religion in Italy and Argentina, with special emphasis on the equal or differentiated treatment of different religions. The policies of recognition and integration of religious minorities find in the normative framework an empowering or limiting factor, depending on the national context. Although both countries share a dominant Catholic matrix, their historical developments and legal formats present contrasts that project different scenarios of religious governance, which we will try to elucidate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Management of Religious Diversity: Comparing and Contrasting Experiences across the World)
12 pages, 274 KiB  
Article
Spiritual Articulation and Conscientious Objection: Dynamics of Religious Diversity Management in Healthcare Practices in Argentina
by Gabriela Irrazábal and Ana Lucía Olmos Álvarez
Religions 2024, 15(6), 652; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060652 - 27 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1844
Abstract
This article delves into the dynamics of managing religious diversity within the healthcare field in Argentina. It focuses on the articulations between health practices and individual belief systems among healthcare professionals and users. Applying a comparative approach based on qualitative interviews, we draw [...] Read more.
This article delves into the dynamics of managing religious diversity within the healthcare field in Argentina. It focuses on the articulations between health practices and individual belief systems among healthcare professionals and users. Applying a comparative approach based on qualitative interviews, we draw conclusions that underscore the imperative of acknowledging the sociocultural diversity within our societies. This recognition is fundamental in cultivating healthcare environments that not only respect users’ diverse worldviews but also healthcare professionals’ religious perspectives. Our findings advocate for incorporating religious diversity management principles in healthcare, emphasizing the development of inclusive approaches in dealing with health, illness, and wellbeing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Management of Religious Diversity: Comparing and Contrasting Experiences across the World)
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