Imam multitasking e «all’italiana»

The essay deals with the figure of the imam, a religious person generally likened to a priest, a rabbi, or a pastor in Italy. This is an improper and forced interpre-tation determined both by a culture of assimilation of minority faith communities to the morphology of the majority c...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Naso, Paolo 1957- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:Italian
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: 2021
In: Annali di studi religiosi
Year: 2021, Volume: 22, Pages: 33-46
Online Access: Volltext (kostenfrei)
Description
Summary:The essay deals with the figure of the imam, a religious person generally likened to a priest, a rabbi, or a pastor in Italy. This is an improper and forced interpre-tation determined both by a culture of assimilation of minority faith communities to the morphology of the majority confession and by norms that push faith communities to organize themselves in vertical terms according to a typically episcopal model. Despite this misinterpretation or adaptation to the national context, in a religiously pluralistic and multicultural society such as Italy is becoming, the imam becomes a sort of cultu-ral mediator who is increasingly multitasking, taking on different functions and roles. Despite of the fact that there is no legal recognition of his role, his figure is credited on a social level. Field research shows well-integrated imams, with a medium-high level of education but with weak theological preparation. This is a critical issue that opens up space for «self- made imams» with a challenging and manipulative agenda. Hence the urgency of political action aimed at recognizing this figure as the key to starting constructive processes of interfaith dialogue and intercultural integration.
ISSN:2284-3892
Contains:Enthalten in: Annali di studi religiosi
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.14598/Annali_studi_relig_22202103