(C21) The Legitimacy of Religious Pluralism: Perception and Acceptance of Religious Diversity among the European Population

The project aims to investigate the perception and acceptance of religious diversity among the population of selected European societies and, in doing so, to shed light in particular on the conditions which shape the way that religious pluralism is dealt with on the levels of attitude and religious practice. This purpose is incorporated into the main research structure of the cluster of excellence as part of area C, “Integrative Procedures”.

The study focuses on clarifying how the population reacts to the problems of increasing religious plurality, what notions it has of the consensus generating power of religions, and how it wants the relationship of church and state or of religion and politics, respectively, to be regulated. The research project deals with pursuing these questions on the basis of a representative population survey. The selection of countries, which is not finalised yet, will be carried out on the basis of considerations concerning the existing respective contextual conditions. The actual extent of religious plurality in each of the countries and the religious denominational tradition found in each will be used as criteria here.