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The Limits of Inter-religious Dialogue and the Form of Football Rituals: The Case of Bosnia-Herzegovina

Department of Sociology, University of Padua, via Cesarotti 10-12, I-35122 Padua, Italy, davide.sterchele{at}unipd.it

English

The difficulties with interfaith dialogue are linked, at least in part, to the lack of ritual forms (consisting of rules, ceremonial idioms, liturgy, and repertoires of action) designed to unite and integrate the "meta-group "formed by the various religious communities. By means of ethnographic research conducted in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the author studied the mechanisms with which, under particular conditions, some forms of collective ritual were able to create opportunities for the re-integration of the Bosnian population, which had been profoundly divided after the terrible war of 1992–95. Comparing the forms of religious rituals and those of sports rituals–in particular, of football rituals–the author develops some considerations that can be applied to the general debate about inter-religious dialogue. The comparison brings to light some of the limits and difficulties that religious institutions encounter in giving life to an interfaith dialogue that directly and concretely involves the members of different communities.

French

Les difficultés du dialogue interconfessionnel sont liées, du moins en partie, au manque de formes rituelles (faites de règles, idiomes cérémoniels, liturgies et répertoires d’action) ayant pour but d’unifier et intégrer un ‘‘méta-groupe’’ d’individus qui appartiennent à des communautés religieuses différentes. A ` travers une enqute ethnographique conduite en Bosnie-Herzégovine, l’auteur étudie les mécanismes par lesquels, dans certaines conditions, des rituels collectifs peuvent favoriser le processus de réintégration de la population bosniaque, profondément partagée suite à la guerre terrible de 1992–95. En faisant une comparaison entre rituels religieux et rituels sportifs, en particulier ceux du football, l’auteur développe des considérations qui peuvent s’appliquer au débat général sur le dialogue interconfessionnel. La comparaison montre certaines limites et difficultés des institutions religieuses lorsqu’elles tentent de mettre en place un dialogue qui engage directement et concrètement les membres des différentes communautés.

Key Words: Bosnia-Herzegovina • football • inter-religious dialogue • phenomenology • ritual

Social Compass, Vol. 54, No. 2, 211-224 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0037768607077032


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