The many shapes of interreligious relations in contemporary Spain activism, governance and diplomacy

Abstract

The idea of interreligious dialogue has gained worldwide traction in the last decades and has been promoted as a key component for religious peace. The aim of the article is to examine how interreligious aspirations and practices crystallize in different settings - namely diplomacy, governance and activism - and are shaped by the particular historical and political dynamics of each of these settings. The article explains how the plasticity of the idea of interreligious dialogue contributes to foster its popularity across different domains while serving to convey a wide range of meanings and expectations regarding interreligious pasts, presents and futures. Geographically, the article focuses on Spain and is based on qualitative fieldwork. The article shows that there have been considerable efforts to promote interreligious initiatives and that the global interreligious narrative has been re-fashioned locally, by including the idea of Al-Andalus as a lighthouse. However, the image of Spain and its history, as a foundational space for interreligious dialogue and multi-religious coexistence is contested by the current growth of extreme-right movements, and parties re-claiming the Christian foundational narrative of the country put this kind of initiative in peril.