Religion and Change

Watson, Brandon; Göcke, Benedikt; Borowski, Michael

Abstract

It is not surprising to find people seeking religious answers to difficult questions in a world of multifarious change in an increasingly globalized society. Religion seeks to grapple with the ‘big questions’ as a way to provide hope, comfort, and stability amidst rapid change and ever-shifting realities facing humanity. The notion of change as addressed from a plurality of religious backgrounds provides a significant and exciting area of research and innovation. While many things remain constant, the constant change or disruption of established norms and systems continues to bring new challenges and opportunities, whereby religion can adapt and address the consistencies and movements in contemporary society. To further these conversations and provide scholarly exchange around these issues, this Special Issue will publish contributions from the 2021 annual meeting of the European Academy of Religion, which was dedicated to the overall subject of religion and change. We are pleased to invite this year’s members of the EuARe to contribute to this Special Issue addressing the relationship between religion and change. While religious traditions seem to imply some form of cementation of ideas, customs, and rituals, they also adapt and form over time to meet the various challenges people face. Not only are traditions seemingly consistent, the spiritual and holy texts grounding these traditions have stood the test of time, further substantiating renewed interest in the reciprocal relationship between tradition, change, and religious meaning. The scope of this SI falls within these broad categories in the hopes of addressing the mutually informed relationship of religion and change. Such a scope is multifaceted in that it provides room for a plethora of perspectives from varying religious traditions, with a special focus on how religions address change, how the inevitability of change shapes religions, and how religious traditions spark transformation. This Special Issue aims to bring to light the diverse aspects at play in the evolving role religion plays amidst change, transformation, and development. In this Special Issue, original research essays are welcome. Research areas may include but are not limited to the following four broad categories derived from the EuARe general theme from 2021: Change and transformation of religion; Evolution and religion; Hermeneutics and religious traditions; Dynamics of change.