"Overlapping at a Distance": International Conference on Space and Religion

What happens when the same space is used by different people for different, even opposite purposes? By Muslims and Buddhists, by Protestants and Catholics, by the dying and the birthing, by washers and pilgrims? What is it like to know about it or even to have it happen at the same time? Such practices and notions, but also the regulations or at least considerations of how to deal with such overlapping and multifunctional spaces are discussed in social geography under the heading of "co-spatiality". This is precisely the topic of the conference to which the research group "Religion and Urbanity: Mutual Formations" is inviting participants this week. Due to Corona, it will take place in hybrid format, i.e. on the one hand with the international fellows present at the Max-Weber-Kolleg in Erfurt and on the other hand in digital form through experts from India, the USA, Italy and France who are connected via video conference.

In about 15 discussion rounds, places from the entire history of the city and religion will be examined in more detail. How do Jewish and Christian manners and ideas of the Jerusalem Temple Mount relate to each other? How did the inhabitants of Barikat in the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan use the Buddhist monasteries in the surrounding area - and how did their monks use the city? How were and are the step systems on urban riverbanks in India used, and how is their use regulated? How could bathing lakes become sanctuaries? And who pushed into early modern bedrooms with what aims? The most important theoretician of "cospatialité", Jacques Lévy, will give an opening lecture.

"Co-spatiality", say Dr. Elisa Iori, the organiser of the conference, and Susanne Rau and Jörg Rüpke as spokespersons for the research group, "is a central component of the research group's work. We are pleased that even under the present conditions it has been possible to organise a conference whose format gives a completely new approach to the historical processes of change.

Further information / contact:
Dr. Elisa Iori
e-mail: elisa.iori@uni-erfurt.de