Pluriel 2nd International Congress, Rome, 26-28 June 2018

The notion of belonging offers the double advantage of being less unyielding than the concept of identity and closer to the phenomena of “recompositions”. The notion may lead our reflection to sociological, political and theological fields, which is specific to modernity. Indeed, contemporary transformations
need to be dealt with through the modes of transition, rupture and antagonisms that interact with tradition and modernity. From this perspective of unity/diversity, uniqueness/multiplicity, how are the
notions of singular and plural linked to the theme of belonging? How can we grasp the multiple characteristics of modern pluralism, and the plurality of belongings and opinions within Islam? Contrary to totalizing discourses that consider Islam as a global referent, the modes of belonging to Islam are, on the contrary, as rich as they are diversified. In other words, plurality is not the privilege of modernity, insofar as it can obey other logics.

From this synthetic introduction, three main themes emerge:
citizenship, territory(ies), community(ies).
I – Membership(s) and Citizenship
Comparative Study Among European States
Comparative Study Among Southern Mediterranean Countries
Comparative Study Among Muslim authors and/or actors
II – Belonging(s) and Territory(ies)
Concepts and Categories
Interreligious Dialogue and Territory
Geopolitics and Territory
III – Belonging(s) and Community(ies)
Community(ies), plurality, alterity
Community(ies) and fraternity
Community(ies) under reconstruction
LECTURERS
Dirk ANSORGE – Professeur en théologie dogmatique ; Philosophisch-Theologische Hochschule Sankt   Georgen
Ghaleb BENCHEIKH – Doctor of Science and Physics, Islamologist, Chairman of the World Conference of Religions for Peace
Paolo BRANCA – PhD in Arabic Language and Literature. Professor of Arabic and Islamic studies; Catholic University of Milan.
Marco DEMICHELIS – PhD in Islamic Studies and Political Thought ; Catholic University of Sacred
Heart, Milan
John ESPOSITO – University Professor, Professor of Religion and International Affairs and of Islamic
Studies and Founding Director of the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding
Jaume FLAQUER – Professeur de dialogue interreligieux, théologie des religions et islamologie ;
Facultat de Teologia de Catalunya
Anna HAGER – Docteur en philosophie, enseignante et chercheuse associée ; Princeton University, New Jersey
Jose Luis LLAQUET – Doctor in law and associate professor ; Universidad Loyola Andalucí
Ali MOSTFA – PhD in English Studies. Professor of Arab-Muslim world and intercultural representations, ESTRI ; Lyon Catholic University
Michaela NEULINGER – University Assistant at the Institute of Systematic Theology ; University of
Innsbruck
PAROLIN Gianluca – PhD in Public Law, Associate professor at the Institute for the Study of Muslim
Civilisations ; Aga Khan University, London
Emmanuel PISANI – PhD in Theology and Philosophy. Director of the Institute of Science and Theology of Religions ; Paris Catholic Institute
Wael SALEH – Cofondateur de l’Observatoire Interdisciplinaire des Mouvements Islamistes (Université de Montréal) ; Chercheur associé à l’Observatoire sur le Moyen-Orient et l’Afrique du Nord (Université du Québec à Montréal)
Son Eminence le Cardinal TAURAN, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
Gonzalo VILLAGRÁN – PhD in Theology. Professor of Christian social ethics ; Faculty of Theology of
Granada
Anja ZALTA – Assistant Professor for Sociology of Religion at the Sociology Department ; Faculty of
Arts, University of Ljubljana

Chairmen, Moderators
Leïla BABÈS – Doctorate and Accreditation to supervise research in Political Sciences, Professor
of Sociology of Religion and Islamic Studies; Lille Catholic University.
Laurent BASANESE – PhD in Arab Studies, Islamic and Oriental Civilisations, Director of the Gregorian
Center for Interreligious Studies ; Pontifical Gregorian University
Valentino COTTINI – PhD in Theology. Director of the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies of
Rome
Diego SARRIO – Ph.D. in Theological & Religious Studies, Licentiate in Arabic and Islamic Studies ;
Pontificio Istituto di Studi Arabi e d’Islamistica (PISAI), Rome
Thom SICKING – PhD in Sociology. Director of the Centre for the Study and interpretation of religion ;
Saint Joseph University, Beirut
Tobias SPECKER – PhD in Theology. Professor at Faculty of Theology of Francfort
Roula TALHOUK - PhD in Anthropology and Religious Sciences, Saint Joseph University, Beirut
Michel YOUNÈS – PhD in Theology and Philosophy.Professor of Theology, Director of the Research
Centre for Cultural and Religious Studies and PLURIEL coordinator; Lyon Catholic University