Abstract

What does it mean to dwell in a world where different religious orientations and other world-views share urban spaces and public places? This article responds to this question that has been debated in a symposium held by the SITR, the Italian Society for Theological Research, a few years ago by comparing two case studies: the first one focuses on the Victorian Highgate Cemetery and the other on a contemporary interreligious centre in Bern, Switzerland. Although these places are located in different contexts and assume different functions, both can be considered as a kind of “urban laboratoryµ where various identity and religious practices live side by side. Starting with a few general considerations in light of central aspects of a space theory for the study of religion, this study provides an overview on the crucial role of shared places where religious diversity is experienced and negotiated.