Berkley Center

Pluralism is inescapable in today’s modern societies, whether it is of a cultural, social, political, or religious nature. It is praised as the defining feature of modernity and decried as an impossible ideal. A violent backlash against pluralism has been fueled by nostalgic forces who lament their loss of supremacy atop the social hierarchy. The Theologies and Practices of Religious Pluralism project will convene a team of international scholars to provide original insights on the often-ignored transformations that modern pluralism has forced upon all religions, challenging their theology and practices. The project will investigate current debates and issues on pluralism within and across religious traditions and how some of these debates are reshaping the status of religion in different public spaces. 

In its first two years (2022-2024), the project will examine pluralism in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Each religious tradition will be discussed in a series of workshops and other research devoted to the topics specific to the respective religion. The second phase will examine and compare results by convening seminars across religious traditions. Berkley Center Senior Fellows José Casanova and Jocelyne Cesari are co-chairs of the steering academic committee. The project is a partnership between Reset Dialogues on Civilizations; the University of Birmingham; the Foundation for Religious Sciences, John XXIII; and the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University.