Research-Alumni Ambassadors at podium discussion on religious pluralism
The Research-Alumni strategy at the University of Münster is not only precious to favour sustainable research cooperations and increase the visibility of our institution in the world. Recently, once more, it’s significance in the field of science-communication was highlighted when the Research-Alumni Ambassadors Prof Daniela Bonanno from the University of Palermo and Prof Corinne Bonnet from the Scuola Superiore Normale di Pisa enriched a podium discussion dealing with different aspects of religious pluralism. Both were nominated in 2018 and have actively maintained their research cooperation with the Seminar of Ancient History since many years.
In the afore mentioned event on Sunday, 18 February 2024 more than 120 interested spectators joined in the beautiful historic building of the Erbdrostenhof, to listen to the theories of experts from different scientific domains on the pacific approach to religious diversity. Keywords were openness, tolerance, the capacity to favour compromise and the willingness to promote self-criticism. The podium discussion war a cooperation project between the Science Office of the City of Münster, the Vice Rector for Internationalisation, Knowledge Transfer and Sustainability and the Welcome Centre in the International Office (where the coordination of the Research-Alumni strategy is based).
Prof Detlef Pollack as former speaker of the Cluster of Excellence „Religion and Politics “acted as the keynote-speaker and addressed how modern democratic and liberal societies deal with the increasing religious plurality. Prof Daniela Bonanno presented lessons from antiquity regarding important aspects of polytheistic religions as pragmatism in her speech, combining her research and findings of Prof Corinne Bonnet. Dr Manon Westphal from the Institute of Political Science focussed on theories of compromise and their relevance in the negotiations of the Peace Treaty of Westphalia and also in contemporary life. Last, but not least, Prof Mouhanad Khorchide from the Centre for Islamic Theology explained which challenges the Islamic Theology of Peace is facing today.
After the presentations, the audience had the option to address the different speakers in a Q&A session. A strongly expressed wish was the desire to find more options for interchange between different confessions and cultures.