The Bavarian Research Center for Interreligious Discourse (BaFID) was founded at FAU in October 2020. The Bavarian State Government funds it and replaces the previous research center, Key Concepts in Interreligious Discourses (KCID). The main aim of the BaFID is to study the basic ideas and important concepts of the monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, looking at how they relate to each other and their intellectual backgrounds in a discussion-based way. In addition to basic research, the BaFID also has a social concern: knowledge transfer. The insights gained are to be effectively communicated to society to promote mutual understanding among religious communities and social cohesion. Moreover, the center strives to foster the integration of individuals from diverse religious backgrounds. In this way, the BaFID contributes to peaceful coexistence and mutual recognition among people of different religious affiliations.
These goals are to be achieved with the help of various activities, including several annual English-language conferences with internationally recognized scientists, the publication of a book series, a journal, and a video series, as well as lecture series, presentations, panel discussions, and study days. The target audience includes people of all ages who are interested in religion and teachers and multipliers from science, politics, society, and the media.
You can also see our tasks at a glance in our Information Brochure.
Integration: Our Understanding and Mission
The Bavarian Research Center for Interreligious Discourse (BaFID) perceives integration as a holistic process. Inspired by the technical definition—the connection of individual parts into a functional whole—we understand social integration as the harmonious interaction of diverse individuals and groups. A stable community only emerges when all its components are recognized and interconnected. This is the only way to ensure social cohesion in the long term. Religions can make a significant contribution to this, as they convey central values and possess a powerful potential for peace-building.
Our approach is reciprocal: we address both the migrant community and the host society. Successful coexistence requires openness to new impulses—a society is not a rigid entity, but a living, constantly evolving structure.
How we achieve this:
- Through Research: We examine interreligious discourses to provide well-founded intellectual impulses for integration processes. The goal is to strengthen shared values and pave the way for mutual recognition.
- Through Knowledge Transfer: Based on our research, we identify the common ground between monotheistic religions and make these intersections understandable for civil society and applicable to integration processes.