Torkel Brekke
Deputy Director of Peace Research Institute Oslo
‘Radicalized Christianity and hostility against Muslims in Scandinavia’
In both popular discourse, in social science literature and in policy debates, terms like radicalized religion almost always refer to aspects of Islam. In a situation when European societies face increasing conflicts over religious diversity it is arguably more important to understand the essential but often ignored roles of the continent’s majority religion - Christianity - in shaping attitudes to out-groups, especially Muslims. This lecture investigates how fundamentalist and evangelical Christian activists and politicians in Scandinavia use religion to formulate, justify and explain hostile attitudes and political positions about immigrants of Muslim background. The most important context for my lecture is the so-called “refugee crisis” of 2015 and 2016, but I will also draw historical lines. The lecture will use experience from the same research to touch on some of the dangers and difficulties in using contested and controversial words – like radical/ized – when writing and talking about persons and groups who are concerned about how they are portrayed by research and media.
Deputy Director of Peace Research Institute Oslo
‘Radicalized Christianity and hostility against Muslims in Scandinavia’
In both popular discourse, in social science literature and in policy debates, terms like radicalized religion almost always refer to aspects of Islam. In a situation when European societies face increasing conflicts over religious diversity it is arguably more important to understand the essential but often ignored roles of the continent’s majority religion - Christianity - in shaping attitudes to out-groups, especially Muslims. This lecture investigates how fundamentalist and evangelical Christian activists and politicians in Scandinavia use religion to formulate, justify and explain hostile attitudes and political positions about immigrants of Muslim background. The most important context for my lecture is the so-called “refugee crisis” of 2015 and 2016, but I will also draw historical lines. The lecture will use experience from the same research to touch on some of the dangers and difficulties in using contested and controversial words – like radical/ized – when writing and talking about persons and groups who are concerned about how they are portrayed by research and media.