DISKUS Volume 5 (1999) 

MULTICULTURALISM AND THE RECOGNITION OF RELIGION


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DISKUS Editor's note:
This is a double-size issue of DISKUS, guest-edited by Dr Martin Baumann (Hannover). Thanks are due to Martin Baumann for his skill and effort in assembling a very interesting and stimulating set of papers on this important and timely theme.
- Brian Bocking
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Editorial
Welcome to DISKUS Volume 5, which focuses on the theme of 'Multiculturalism and the Recognition of Religion'. As we all know, 'multiculturalism' has become a buzz-word. Nevertheless, as a key term used in describing and debating the plurality of national, cultural and religious groups in post-modern societies (and elsewhere) it cannot go unnoticed by scholars of the history of religions. As such, this volume draws attention to a wide area of research fields, pointing to the significance of the 'religious factor' within existing multicultural contexts, as well as highlighting some of the implications multiculturalism might have for religious traditions.

Looking at the phenomenon of multiculturality from a Religious Studies point of view, the situation  appears historically neither so new nor particularly exceptional (in the sense of occurring only in societies of Western late modernity). The first essay by Max Deeg, pointing to examples in India, Central Asia and China in ancient times, underscores the fact that multicultural situations can be observed more than 2,000 years ago. In a nearby region of the world but two millenia later, Andreas Ackermann demonstrates how the modern Singaporean government officially manages multiculturalism by  deliberately filtering out folk beliefs and practices and thus virtually taking control of the city state's religious traditions. In a comparable although less authoritarian way, the Canadian government has spread its policy of equal multiculturalism. However, as Reginald Bibby surprisingly argues, this national policy is to a large extent founded on a culturally diverse and apparently growing Christian monopoly and actually fails to reflect the real character of religious heterogeneity. Heading Westwards to the next continent, Michelle Spuler sketches the development of multiculturalism in contemporary Australia, focusing on Australia's religious diversity. Despite an officially praised religious pluralism, a bias towards an Anglo-Celtic understanding of religion remains dominant, as a case study of Aboriginal religion in a legal court claim shows.

Coming finally to Europe, Gerrie ter Haar points to the seldom recognized group(s) of African Christians in the Netherlands. She discusses the use or rather mis-use of the concepts of cultural identity and ethnicity and asks us to look closely at who fixes 'ethnic' categories and who is then allocated to these. Helena Helve in Finland looks at multiculturalism (primarily in the sense of a variety of youth cultures) and by way of setting up a typology analyses how and in which way the younger generation today responds to multiculturalism. Denise Cush vigorously draws attention to the importance of Religious Education and its potential for a major contribution to intercultural education and the fostering of 'positive pluralism' in Great Britain. Finally, Martin Baumann points to the fact that in existing discussions on and about multiculturalism the focus on 'ethnicity' has relegated 'religion' to second place, if indeed it is noticed at all. Establishing the 'still' on-going importance of religion, it is argued that living within a multicultural context has a lasting effect on the various religious traditions. This is made evident by the example of inter-faith encounters and their consequences for organisational representation and conceptual presentation. 

This small selection of papers certainly cannot encompass all of the many facets and faces of multiculturalism in relation to religion. Historically, many more cases such as those from Hellenist times or Roman Antiquity are well worth investigating. Regionally, examples from Africa or Southern America would also be of much interest. However, since a pertinent feature of current discussions on multiculturality is the failure to take religion into consideration, this collection of essays at least concentrates on this 'neglected factor', pointing up the significance of religion in a variety of concrete social and political contexts. 

Some of the papers in this volume were originally presented at the IAHR Congress for the History of Religions in Europe held at Hildesheim in May 1998. Some additional papers have been solicited, to enrich the scope of this thematic issue. I would like to express my gratitude to the authors for their fine contributions to this volume.

Martin Baumann 
Guest Editor, DISKUS
Email: martin.baumann@mail.uni-biefeld.de