Living Religion in Northern Ireland:

Trinity College Dublin

Living Religion in Northern Ireland:

Experiences of People of Faith Minorities in a Christian Majority Landscape.

By Dr Gladys Ganiel


•Part of the IRCHSS-funded research project•To be completed over three years (2009-2011)•Marks Centenary of 1910 Missionary Conference•Surveys, sociological case studies, theological reflection


Tonight’s TalkFocus on data related to ‘Faith Minorities’Data from 2009 SurveysData from 2010 Case Study


Purpose of Surveys

• To audit religious diversity on the island – Ethnic diversity within Christian

congregations/parishes; and ‘other’ religions– Perceptions of reconciliation (what is

reconciliation & who should be reconciled?)– Perceptions of ecumenism (what is ecumenism &

does it matter today?)– Perspectives of both faith leaders & laypeople


Surveys of Faith Leaders

Clergy, Pastors, Ministers, Faith Leaders

• More than 4,000 direct email or postal requests

• April-July 2009• Response rate 18%• Evangelicals over-

represented• Highest response rate

among Methodist & Church of Ireland


Surveys of Laypeople

On-line Exploratory Survey• More than 900 respondents• April-July 2009 on

www.ecumenics.ie • Atheists & evangelicals

over-represented• Provide useful points of

comparison for survey of faith leaders and provide directions for future research

http://www.ecumenics.ie/


‘Minority’ respondents• Only 14 of 710 respondents

on faith leaders survey• 9 from Republic, 5 from

Northern Ireland• Response rate 24%• Baha’i, Buddhist, Hare

Krishna, Hindu, Humanist, Jewish, Muslim

• Nothing substantial can be claimed from this data, due to small sample size

BUT …


Interesting Findings

• Leaders from Other Religions were most likely to say they had been provided with adequate training or resources for promoting reconciliation (89%)

• Other Religions (89%) reported the most positive conceptions

of ecumenism. • On ecumenism, Christians prioritized options including

‘Catholics and Protestants’


‘Lay’ Minority Respondents• 910 total respondents, 29 from Faith

Minorities (23 from Republic, 4 from NI, 2 did not indicate location)

• Includes Baha’i, Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Humanist, Jewish Orthodox, pagan, Soto Zen Buddhist, Tibetan Buddhist

• Again, nothing substantial can be claimed from this data, due to small sample size

BUT …


Interesting Findings• The laypeople who responded to our survey were more likely

to indicate that good civic relations and dialogue with Other Religions is part of ecumenism, than were the faith leaders who responded

• 25% of laypeople on the island as a whole reported accessing resources on reconciliation between people of different religions

• 28% of laypeople on the island as a whole had accessed general resources on reconciliation (25% in the Republic and 38% in Northern Ireland). The most likely to have done so were people from Other Religions (47%) and Other Christians (38%).


Faith Minorities Case Study 2010

• Context of seven other case studies– Fermanagh Churches Forum– Holy Cross Benedictine Monastery, Co. Down– Sli Eile (Jesuit youth organisation)– Abundant Life Assemblies of God church, Limerick– St Patrick’s United Church, Waterford– Jesus Centre, Dublin– Ballyboden Catholic lay parish council, Dublin


Faith Minorities Case Study (2010)

• Our purpose?To provide in-depth perspectives on what it is

like to live as a member of a faith minority community on this island

• Interviewees are not ‘representative’• Semi-structured interviews provide room for

depth and more nuanced understanding• Participants sourced through ISE contacts and

2009 surveys


Interviewee DemographicsAge Range Birthplace Religious background Current Religion Current residence Gender

40-60 Northern Ireland Church of Ireland Baha’i NI M

40-60 Turkey Muslim (Sunni) Muslim (Sunni) NI M

40-60 India Hindu Hindu NI M

18-25 Turkey Muslim Muslim NI F

40-60 India Sikh Sikh Ireland M

40-60 Ireland Jewish Jewish Ireland F

26-40 Northern Ireland Catholic Buddhist Ireland M

40-60 Ireland Catholic Buddhist Ireland F

65+ Ireland Church of Ireland Baha’i Ireland F

65+ Ireland Catholic Buddhist NI M (LGBT)


Irish or Northern Irish born interviewees

Dissatisfaction or disappointment with previous religion

But always several factors

Committing to a new faith


Experiences of Acceptance

• With family• With society around them

I can easily say this is one of the relaxed and good countries, where you can live your faith and don’t have any problem. … As long as you don’t go to very sensitive areas of the country where nationalism is very high.

- Afandee, Turkish Muslim in N. Ireland


• Present in all narratives• In social interactions • In public policies, politics, educational

system, etc.

Experiences of Rejection/Prejudice & Lack of Recognition


Meaning & Practice of ‘Everyday’ Religion

• Prayer, meditation, social work – religions give meaning to people’s everyday lives

• All say their religions are not about converting others

• Many emphasise that their religions are non-violent


Ecumenism

• All say ‘other religions’ should be included• This may be related to desire for recognition

or acknowledgement• But, one had not heard of ecumenism, two

were unsure, and another had checked its meaning in the dictionary

• Is ecumenism the same as inter faith dialogue?


Points to Ponder

Acceptance is hard to come byOrdinariness of everyday religious life

When little recognition, who should reach out?Relationship between inter-faith dialogue & ecumenism

Living Religion in Northern Ireland:

Documents

Transcript of Living Religion in Northern Ireland: