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/