Duration: 2026 – 2031
PIs: Prof. Thorsten Quandt (University of Münster), Prof. Ines Michalowski (University of Münster), Prof. Mouhanad Khorchide (University of Münster)
Funding: Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), Institut für multidisziplinäre Religionsforschung e.V. (ImRe)
The research group "Conflict, Religion, and Institutions" (2026-2031) investigates how secularization, religious pluralization, and religious radicalization shape the transformation of societal institutions. In the Online Communication Lab Münster subproject, led by Prof. Thorsten Quandt, the research team analyzes religious and ideological communication on digital platforms and examines how actor networks, communication structures, and processes of radicalization evolve in online environments. To this end, computational content analysis is combined with qualitative interviews and experimental studies. Together with the subprojects led by Prof. Ines Michalowski (University of Münster) and Prof. Mouhanad Khorchide (University of Münster), the research group contributes to a better understanding of the interactions between religion, institutions, and digital communication, while generating new insights into societal conflicts and institutional change.