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Document Details : Title: Wisdom Gained in the Encounter with Others Subtitle: Xenosophia and the Religious Pluralization in Switzerland Author(s): SCHRÖDER, Anna-Konstanze , MARTENS, Sylvia Journal: Studies in Interreligious Dialogue Volume: 27 Issue: 2 Date: 2017 Pages: 53-76 DOI: 10.2143/SID.27.2.3269035 Abstract : The increasing religious plurality of the Swiss society has triggered debates on Swiss culture (vaguely referring to its history, customs and values) and under which circumstances 'foreign' religious traditions, notably Islam, can become an integral and acceptable part of this culture. The debate is driven by stereotypes and prejudices, the fear of strangers, and the desire to preserve one’s own (cultural) identity. To find a solution, we discuss the social psychological research on the relationship between religion and prejudice which provides insights into the circumstances and individuals’ attitudes that lead to a group’s devaluation of an outgroup. However, finding out about the influencing factors on prejudices may help to reduce prejudices but it does not show a real alternative. Thus, we shift our research focus towards a concept called 'xenosophia', i.e. the expectancy that something positive results from the encounter with others. This perspective may help to identify fruitful approaches to foster enriching encounters between different religious and secular views in a pluralistic society. We illustrate this using the example of the present debate on the Muslim facial veil (niqab) and the full body veil (burqa). |
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