“RESILIENT BELIEFS: AN OVERVIEW” STRONG OPINIONS DEBATED IN BRIXEN

On November 18-19, the first workshop of the interregional and interdisciplinary research project “Resilient Beliefs: Religion and Beyond” (2022-2024), funded by the Euregio Science Fund and carried out by the Center for Religious Studies in cooperation with the University of Innsbruck and PTHSTA, was held in Brixen.

At the heart of the research in the REBE project are those beliefs that, for good or bad reasons, often difficult to make explicit, are particularly resistant to change, sometimes even in the face of contrary evidence. Examples are well known and range from common sense certainties to political opinions, sports partisanship, scientific notions gathered during the school years, and life insights around which people build their own sense of integrity or moral rectitude.

Many of these topics were discussed during the workshop: from conspiracy theories (Scott Hill – Innsbruck) to pathological delusions and their legal implications (Eugenia Lancellotta – Trent), from the role of dogma in Christian faith and theology (Gloria Dell’Eva – Bressanone) to the distinction between good and bad doxastic resilience (Winfried Löffler – Innsbruck), from the relationship between religion and delusion (Paolo Costa – Trento) to the epistemic relevance of disbelief (Boris Rähme – Trento).

Already in the pipeline for the coming months are, in addition to publications, more workshops and a final conference in which the investigation of this enigmatic aspect of human mental life will be further developed.