With global developments and the growing significance of religion in public debates, academic interest in religions too has grown, especially in religious contacts. While there is a long tradition of studying specific interactions, in particular among the so-called Abrahamic religions, this orientation usually betrays a Western perspective. Recent scholarship has developed a more global perspective paying increasing attention to other religious contacts such as between Muslims and Buddhists. Alongside research on the ground, scholars are developing theoretical frameworks for studying these contacts. How do we theorize religion? How can we assess the significance of religious identity when members of different communities meet? What defines a contact between individuals, communities, traditions, as a contact of religions? What are the effects of contact for the development and expansion of religious traditions?
