Shared Places: On Religion and Space

Prof. Dr. Daria Pezzoli-Olgiati

doi:10.5771/9783748969792

Summary

Inspired by cosmological representations and world maps from medieval and early modern Europe, this book addresses the contemporary relevance of spatiality for the study of religion and related disciplines. How is religious plurality spatially performed? Which visions, imaginations and utopias are mirrored in those places? Such questions lead the reader on an imaginary journey, from the peaks of the Alps to subterranean tunnels, from Victorian funerary sites to digital memorials, weaving through unique urban architecture, museums and interactive exhibitions. This title is also available as Open Access.

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Bibliographic data

Edition: 1/2026
Copyright Year: 2026
ISBN-Print: 978-3-7560-4053-7
ISBN-Online: 978-3-7489-6979-2
Publisher: Nomos, Baden-Baden
Series: Media and Religion | Medien und Religion
Volume: 12
Language: English
Pages: 333
Product Type: Monograph

PrefacePages 1 - 10 Download chapter (PDF)
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1. 1.1 Exploring shared places in a challenging time
2. 1.2 A book as an imaginary journey
3. 1.3 Locating the starting point
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1. 2.1 Questioning graffiti in Athens
2. 2.2 »Religion«, a multifaceted term
3. 2.3 Religion as a communication system
4. 2.4 Shaping processes of belonging and exclusion
5. 2.5 Transmission over time
6. 2.6 Diffusion processes in society
7. 2.7 Religion in the cultural imaginary
8. 2.8 Religious plurality and shared places
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1. 3.1 Concepts that travel
2. 3.2 A retable reveals a Christian worldview: The Graner altarpiece in Regensburg
3. 3.3 A mirror provides individual orientation: The single-sheet printing Spiegel der Vernunft
4. 3.4 The limits of creation are explored: The timber ceiling in St. Martin, Zillis
5. 3.5 Creation is mapped in a prayer book: The London Psalter Maps
6. 3.6 A map of the world widens cartography: Fra Mauro’s Mappamondo
7. 3.7 Locating all places in an encompassing space
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1. 4.1 Space as a homogeneous dimension containing all things
2. 4.2 From locating things to space as a multifaceted concept
3. 4.3 Space as a social practice
4. 4.4 The role of the human body
5. 4.5 Place happens
6. 4.6 Navigating space and place for researching religion
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1. 5.1 Visible traces of religious exchanges in the Alps
2. 5.2 The Alps as an ambivalent territory
3. 5.3 The appearance of religious symbols on mountains
4. 5.4 Summit crosses as a negotiation of diverse worldviews
5. 5.5 Crossing the Alps in the era of mobility
6. 5.6 A broadcast ceremony from the depths of the mountain
7. 5.7 Diverse religious rituals in the Gotthard base tunnel
8. 5.8 Religious practices in liminal places
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1. 6.1 Places for the dead
2. 6.2 Modern cemeteries as shared places
3. 6.3 Highgate Cemetery and its transformation over the centuries
4. 6.4 Materialising the presence and absence of the dead
5. 6.5 Representations of the dead in the Covid-19 pandemic
6. 6.6 The National Covid Memorial Wall as a spatial initiative against oblivion
7. 6.7 Remembering the dead as a spatial practice
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1. 7.1 A tree trunk for praying and meditating
2. 7.2 Shared architecture for individual practices
3. 7.3 Accommodating diverse religious communities
4. 7.4 The Haus der Religionen – Dialog der Kulturen in Bern
5. 7.5 Rooms for worship and cultural activities
6. 7.6 Common rooms for dialogue
7. 7.7 A work of art for interconnecting religious traditions
8. 7.8 Building places for diverse religious practices and communities
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1. 8.1 Walking a labyrinth in a white cube: Signs of Life
2. 8.2 The museum as a liminal place in the modern era
3. 8.3 The museum as contemporary public place
4. 8.4 The role of medieval saints for Swiss heritage: Maria Magdalena Mauritius
5. 8.5 Negotiating plural beliefs in the museum: Glaubenssache
6. 8.6 The role of religion in constructing European identity: House of European History
7. 8.7 The human quest for orientation in contemporary art: Auf der Suche…
8. 8.8 Museum practices for exploring religion as a multifaceted phenomenon
9 Religion Takes PlacePages 283 - 290 Download chapter (PDF)
BibliographyPages 291 - 324 Download chapter (PDF)
Image CreditsPages 325 - 328 Download chapter (PDF)
IndexPages 329 - 332 Download chapter (PDF)