Religious Diversity in Europe: Mediating the Past to the Young

Description

Drawing on research funded by the European Commission, this book explores how religious diversity has been, and continues to be, represented in cultural contexts in Western Europe, particularly to teenagers: in textbooks, museums and exhibitions, popular youth culture including TV and online, as well as in political speech. Topics include the findings from focus group interviews with teenagers in schools across Europe, the representation of minority religions in museums, migration and youth subculture.

Riho Altnurme is Professor of Church History at the School of Theology and Religious Studies and Vice Dean for Research at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Tartu, Estonia. Elena Arigita is Assistant Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Granada, Spain. Patrick Pasture is Professor of European and Global History and Director of the Centre for European Studies at KU Leuven, Belgium.

The claim that opinions are more trustable than knowledge is vividly present in small sectors of European society. The few sectors unified by a denial of science and its consequences become a crowd when they look to religious diversity: in the "secular" society, many prefer opinions shaped by narrow experience and unverified internet sources to scientific knowledge. This important book offers a remedy for this dangerous approach. The authors identify the fears and the foundational myths of issues, which can be managed only through fresh knowledge. * Alberto Melloni, Chief Scientific Advisor of the European Commission, Italy * An important international and interdisciplinary book which shows the diverse ways of measuring and supporting a religious culture among young people: those who will manage the issues of religious diversity and social integration in the future. * Louis-Leon Christians, Law and Religions Chair, Universite catholique de Louvain, Belgium *