See it to believe it - Photographing religion

See it to believe it - Photographing religion

The photography exhibition 'Pluralities of Belief', conceived by teacher-researchers from the CNRS and the EPHE, intends to show the activities of the GSRL laboratory, which studies religion in contemporary societies throughout the world. The distinctiveness of the selected photographs is to associate aesthetic qualities and scientific relevance. The resulting publication is an attempt to respond to the growing and unanimous interest in religious issues. It takes up the narrative unfolding of an exhibition conceived around several themes : gestures of belief, writings of belief rituals of belief, architectures of belief symbolisms of belief and secularism and convictions. The book focuses mainly on the plurality of beliefs and non-beliefs, considered in equal parts and forming the same common whole, which only find their real significance when they are themselves subjected to a plurality of views.

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Gills Teulié on South Africa and religion : the French scholar to read

FW de Klerk (1936-2021), the former president of South Africa and the last white person to lead the country, has died (link). This is the occasion to remember how difficult has been the path to peace in South Africa.

Protestant Faith has played an ambiguous role, torn apart between the temptation to legitimize Apartheid, and the emphasis on Grace and Freedom for all.  In the French-speaking world, no one more than Dr Gilles Teulié has analyzed South Africa's religious challenges. His brilliant studies on the religious roots of Apartheid are a must-read.

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Political Pentecostalism: 4 Synoptic Surveys (Asia Africa Latin America)

With volume 17 the series Weltkirche und Mission takes up again the topic of Pentecostal religiosity which made the start in the research projects conducted at the Institute for Global Church and Mission since 2010. The renewed engage- ment is motivated by the focus on the perception of an increasingly political and public activity of actors with Pentecostal background. Since 2016 there has been a project position “Pentecostalism” at the Institute that underlines the importance of scholarly discussion about the phenomenon.

This new 2021 volume is addressing the challenge in a comparative perspective. Local developments and ethnographic studies are for the first time reflected upon from a global perspective.

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