Christian Imaginations of the Religious Other: A History of Religionization

Christian Imaginations of the Religious Other explores how Christians have created, used, and adapted religionized categories of non-Christians throughout history, analyzing the complex intersections of patterns of religionization with racialization, sexualization, and ethnicization.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 368 pages
Publication date: 22 February 2024
Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Ltd

Christian Imaginations of the Religious Other delves into the intricate historical processes through which Christians have constructed, employed, and adapted religiousized categories of non-Christians over the centuries. This groundbreaking volume explores the genealogy of religionization, examining the diverse ways in which Christians have established a sense of religious normativity while simultaneously creating various categories of non-Christian otherness. Spanning a wide range of processes, practices, and socio-political contexts, this innovative work analyzes the complex interplay of patterns of religionization across different eras, while also investigating their entanglements with racialization, sexualization, and ethnicization.

Written in a readable and accessible style, Marianne Moyaert provides a nuanced and well-balanced critical analysis of how and why Christianity's others were named, categorized, essentialized, and governed by those exemplifying Christian normativity in Western European society. Employing a longue durée approach, which extends beyond human memory and the archaeological record, the author integrates diverse case studies and a variety of ecclesial, theological, and literary documents. Throughout the text, Moyaert demonstrates how religionization shaped the ways Christians classified people, organized Christian societies, interacted with different Christian and non-Christian groups, and more.

This book surveys the relationship between shifts in Christian normativity and the way non-Christians are imagined. It helps readers connect the lasting effects of patterns of religionization with their everyday experiences. Furthermore, it discusses the role of Christian expansion in the differential and unequal treatment of Christianity's others. Additionally, the book examines legal regulations and disciplinary practices that were established to define the boundaries between Christians and non-Christians.

By exploring these themes, Christian Imaginations of the Religious Other offers valuable insights into the complex and multifaceted history of Christian-non-Christian relations. It sheds light on the ways in which religious categories have been used to justify discrimination, oppression, and violence, while also highlighting the potential for empathy, understanding, and cooperation between different religious communities. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the history, sociology, and theology of religion, as well as for those seeking to promote greater interfaith dialogue and understanding in today's world.

Weight: 914g
Dimension: 217 x 277 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781119545507