Public lecture series: "Religion and Urbanity in Time and Space"

Religion and urbanity are world-wide pervasive and long-established strategies of handling and fostering human sociality. In a world where over half of the population lives in cities and religion is far from disappearing or being relegated to the private, the question as to how they have interlocked historically is a critical issue that still needs further and more fine-grained exploration. Planned as a well-assorted and consistent course of 15 lectures, the lecture series presents such connections by zooming in on specific examples of Mediterranean, North-European, North-American, and Asian cities from the rise of urbanism to the present time. Emphasis will especially put on substantial, entangled changes occurred in urban life and religion, on the production, adaptation, and dismantling of space, and on the role played by different collective and individual actors. By means of historical reconstruction, however, the lectures will also raise the question of comparable current constellations and possible future developments.

The events will consist of a 45-minute lecture followed by a discussion. The speakers are members and scholarship holders of the International Centre for Advanced Studies "Religion and Urbanity": Reciprocal Formations" (Max Weber Centre) and proven experts based in Germany. Experts from various fields of city administration, religious institutions, social sciences and architecture will also be involved in the discussion.

The lecture series can be viewed on YouTube, even after the actual lecture period:

Youtube-Kanal Uni Erfurt Live