Dynamics of religion : past and present : proceedings of the XXI World Congress of the International Association for the History of Religions, Erfurt, August 23-29, 2015

Religious ideas, practices, discourses, institutions, and social expressions are in constant flux. This volume addresses the internal and external dynamics, interactions between individuals, religious communities, and local as well as global society. The contributions concentrate on four areas: 1. Contemporary religion in the public sphere: The Tactics of (In)visibility among Religious Communities in Europe; Religion Intersecting De-nationalization and Re-nationalization in Post-Apartheid South Africa; 2. Religious transformations: Forms of Religious Communities in Global Society; Political Contributions of Ancestral Cosmologies and the Decolonization of Religious Beliefs; Esoteric Tradition as Poetic Invention; 3. Focus on the individual: Religion and Life Trajectories of Islamists; Angels, Animals and Religious Change in Antiquity and Today; Gaining Access to the Radically Unfamiliar in Today’s Religion; Religion between Individuals and Collectives; 4. Narrating religion: Entangled Knowledge Cultures and the Creation of Religions in Mongolia and Europe; Global Intellectual History and the Dynamics of Religion; On Representing Judaism. Table of Contents 5 Preface 9 Introduction 13 The Dynamics of Religions and Cultural Evolution: Worshipping Fuxi in Contemporary China 21 Religion and Public Space in Contemporary Japan: Re-activation of the Civilization of the Axial Age and the Manifestation of State Shinto and Buddhism 43 The Tactics of (In)Visibility among Religious Communities in Contemporary Europe 59 Religion Intersecting De-nationalization and Re-nationalization in Post-Apartheid South Africa 81 Forms of Religious Communities in Global Society: Tradition, Invention, and Transformation 97 Subversive Spirituality: Political Contributions of Ancestral Cosmologies Decolonizing Religious Beliefs 121 Religion and the Historical Imagination: Esoteric Tradition as Poetic Invention 143 Religion and Life Trajectories: Islamists Against Self and Other 167 Angels, Animals and Religious Change in Antiquity and Today 183 Gaining Access to the Radically Unfamiliar: Religion in Modern Times 203 ‘Cloning Minds’: Religion between Individuals and Collectives 223 Of Yellow Teaching and Black Faith: Entangled Knowledge Cultures and the Creation of Religious Traditions 243 Global Intellectual History and the Dynamics of Religion 263 Narrating, Performing and Feeling a ‘Religion’: On Representations of Judaism 285 The President’s Welcome Note to the 2015 Erfurt IAHR World Congress 309 The General Secretary’s Welcome Note to the 2015 Erfurt IAHR World Congress 311 The Academic Program 315 Abstracts 323 A Balancing Act: Minority Religious Communities and Processes of Transformation–Exploring Aniconism 323 Exploring the Post-Secular–Pentecostalism and the Practice of Religions in Nigeria: Adaptation and Transformation 517 Performance of Language: Space and Time in Meister Eckhart and Modism–The Work of Data: Methods in the Study of Religions 708 Congress Committees 905 Minutes of the International Committee Meeting 907 Minutes of the General Assembly 941 Minutes of the Women Scholars Network Meeting 965 The Congress Directors’ General Report on the XXI IAHR World Congress 969 The Congress Administrator’s Statistical Report 993 The Dynamics Of Religions And Cultural Evolution: Worshipping Fuxi In Contemporary China / Hubert Seiwert -- Religion And Public Space In Contemporary Japan: Re-activation Of The Civilization Of The Axial Age And The Manifestation Of State Shinto And Buddhism / Susume Shimazono -- The Tactics Of (in)visibility Among Religious Communities In Contemporary Europe / Kim Knott -- Religion Intersecting De-nationalization And Re-nationalization In Post-apartheid South Africa / Gerald O. West -- Forms Of Religious Communities In Global Society: Tradition, Invention, And Transformation / Peter Beyer -- Subversive Spirituality: Political Contributions Of Ancestral Cosmologies Decolonizing Religious Beliefs / Sylvia Marcos -- Religion And The Historical Imagination: Esoteric Tradition As Poetic Invention / Wouter J. Hanegraff -- Religion And Life Trajectory: Islamists Against Self And Other / Abdulkader Tayob -- Angels, Animals And Religious Change In Antiquity And Today / Ingvild Sælid Gilhus -- Gaining Access To The Radically Unfamiliar: Religion In Modern Times / Kalpana Ram -- 'cloning Minds': Religion Between Individuals And Collectives / Jeppe Sinding Jensen -- Of Yellow Teaching And Black Faith: Entangled Knowledge Cultures And The Creation Of Religious Traditions / Karénina Kollmar-paulenz -- Global Intellectual History And The Dynamics Of Relgion / Martin Muslow -- Narrating, Performing And Feeling A Religion: On Representations Of Judaism / Cristiana Facchini. Edited By Christoph Bochinger And Jörg Rüpke ; In Cooperation With Elisabeth Begemann. International Conference Proceedings. Includes Bibliographical References. RGVV(History of Religion: Essays and Preliminary Studies) brings together the mutually constitutive aspects of the study of religion(s)?contextualized data, theory, and disciplinary positioning?and engages them from a critical historical perspective. The series publishes monographs and thematically focused edited volumes on specific topics and cases as well as comparative work across historical periods from the ancient world to the modern era.