Islam and Christianity in public space – German-Indonesian exchange at the University of Münster

International conference from October 26 to 28 with researchers from Islamic and Christian theology, religious studies, political science, and cultural studies, as well as representatives from civil society and government of Indonesia

Starting on 26 September at the University of Münster, an international conference will address the public role of Islam and Christianity, and their contribution to democracy in Indonesia. ‘Like those in Germany, Muslim and Christian communities in Indonesia are faced with the question of how to promote democracy and deal constructively with conflicts over religion’, say the organisers of the three-day conference, Protestant theologian and religious studies scholar Simone Sinn and Islamic theologian Mouhanad Khorchide from the Cluster of Excellence ‘Religion and Politics’. ‘Faced with fierce political disputes and cases of discrimination against religious minorities, Muslim and Christian actors in Indonesia have made it their mission to advocate actively and jointly for better legal conditions and ethical values,’ says Sinn. The conference brings together researchers from Islamic and Christian theology, religious studies, political science and cultural studies, as well as representatives of civil society and government from the Southeast Asian country to exchange ideas with their colleagues at the University of Münster. In Indonesia, state, Islamic and Christian universities are conducting intensive research into controversial issues of social change.

The conference will focus on questions of religion and the public space and democracy, but also on Islamic and Christian perspectives on ecology, religious education, gender, LGBTQIA+, and discuss the public role of religion in Germany. With over 191 million Muslims, Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world. The country also has Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Confucian and indigenous religious communities.

Entitled ‘The Role of Islam and Christianity in Public Space: Perspectives from Indonesia and Germany’, the conference held in English will take place from 26 to 28 September. The eight panels will see experts from Indonesia and Germany also discuss issues relating to interpreting the Bible and the Quran today, interreligious dynamics in academia and civil society, and the influence that theological and non-theological religious studies have on religious policy. Participants include Alissa Wahid, daughter of the former president and chair of Indonesia’s largest Muslim organisation, the GUSDURian Network (GNI), and political scientist Professor Burhanuddin Muhtadi from the Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Jakarta, who will present a study completed in July 2025 on the attitudes of Indonesian Muslims towards democracy and equality. Also expected to attend are the rector of the State Islamic University Yogyakarta, Professor Noorhaidi Hasan, and the chair of the Community of Christian Churches in Indonesia, Jacky Manuputty. The three-day conference is being organised by the Centre for Religious Studies (CRS), the Centre for Islamic Theology (ZIT), the Department of Religious Studies and Intercultural Theology, and the Cluster of Excellence ‘Religion and Politics’ at the University of Münster.

Commenting on the changing religious landscape in Germany, Sinn says: ‘Christianity in Germany has become more diverse, the Muslim community is growing, and people are developing religious and spiritual practices beyond traditional affiliations’. The aim of the conference is therefore to deepen interdisciplinary cooperation in researching current changes in the religious and political landscape in Indonesia and Germany, and to strengthen academic exchange between the two countries. The organisers also hope to initiate a debate at the conference on the significance and influence of theological and non-theological research on religion on social discourse and religious policy. As Sinn points out, this debate will be continued in the future at the University of Münster’s Campus for Theology and Religious Studies, the only one of its kind in the world, which from 2026 will bring together Protestant, Catholic and Islamic theology as well as religious studies at the University of Münster, and will house one of the world’s largest research libraries devoted to religion. (tec/pie)