Christian Imaginations of the Other: The Impact of Religionization and Racialization on (Inter)Religious Studies

We propose a panel that uses Moyaert's recently published work Christian Imaginations of the Religious Other: a History of Religionization (Wiley-Blackwell, 2024) as a platform for discussing religionization and racialization more broadly. The goal of this panel is to explore the broader implications and applications of the book's central concept of religionization for interreligious studies, the study of religion-racialization, and comparative theology.

Christian Imaginations of the Religious Other traces the genealogy of religionization, i.e. the various ways in which Christians throughout history have created a sense of religious normativity while simultaneously producing various categories of non-Christian "otherness. Covering a wide range of processes, practices, and socio-political contexts, this book analyzes the complex intersections of patterns of religionization in different eras while exploring their entanglements with racialization, sexualization, and ethnicization. The author offers a nuanced and balanced critical analysis of how and why the others of Christianity were named, categorized, essentialized, and governed by those who exemplified Christian normativity in Western European society. Moyaert takes a longue durée approach that integrates various case studies and a variety of ecclesial, theological, and literary documents. Reviewer Amir Hussain writes that Moyaert's "magisterial new work helps scholars of religion to better learn how religious images, whether drawn with pictures or words, are crucial to how we understand ourselves and each other."

Going beyond the scope of the book, the interdisciplinary and interreligious roundtable panel will be addressing the following themes:

1. Defining and critiquing religionization:
   • What does the framework of religionization mean for the study of interreligious relations?
   • Is religionization as a concept useful beyond the scope of Christianity?
   • To what extent can the concept of religionization be used as a comparative category in the study of interreligious relations? Is it useful from the perspective of the study of Islamic, Jewish or Hindu traditions?
2. Reflecting on the relation between race/religion and Racialization and Religionization
   How does an exploration of the historical process of religionization enrich our understanding of the intricate interplay between religion and race? The book delves predominantly into the history of religionization within the framework of (Western) Europe, prompting us to contemplate whether this concept holds relevance in understanding North America's handling of religious diversity. What novel perspectives come to light when we examine Moyaert's work in light of America's history of color-based racism and white Christian hegemony? Furthermore, what insights emerge regarding the intricate relationships among antisemitism, islamophobia, and anti-black racism?
3. Theological implications:
   • What are the (Christian) theological implications of the concept of religionization and the historical tracing of this phenomenon?
   • How can scholars integrate the concept into theologies of interreligious dialogue or theologies that seek to reckon with the Christian legacy of race?
4. Teaching religionization:
   • How can the history of religionization be effectively taught in theological and/or interreligious settings? To what extent can it contribute to the development of a critical interreligious pedagogy, which centers on issues of privilege, hegemony, and oppression?
   • What are the challenges and risks of discussing and teaching this history?

The panel consists of a presider and 5 panelists from different faith backgrounds and the author in a responding role:
1. A theologian of interreligious dialogue and expert in comparative theology
2. A Scholar of religion who specializes in the study of Islam
3. A scholar in Jewish studies and the study of interreligious relations with a specific interest in antisemitism and islamophobia
4. A feminist theologian specializing in the study of the intersection of race and (Christian) religion in the context of the US
5. A theologian specialized in African Studies, theology, and race
6. A scholar studying the intersecting issues of race, religion, and immigration in the US

In sum, this panel seeks to bring together scholars from diverse backgrounds to critically engage the notion of religionization and its broader implications for understanding interreligious relations. By incorporating perspectives from comparative theology, interreligious studies, and critical race studies, we aim to create a comprehensive and dynamic discussion that will transcend the boundaries of the book itself and foster a thoughtful and critical discussion of the concept of religionization.