(© Universität der Bundeswehr München/Siebold)

MATH EXAMPLES

Maren Freudenberg brings an economic perspective on religions to workshop on Sufi sites with keynote speech

What role do Sufi shrines and lodges play in today's societies? What religious, political and economic functions do these places perform - and how are they managed, museumized or commercialized? These were the questions addressed by the interdisciplinary workshop “Managing Sufi Shrines and Lodges”, which took place on February 6 and 7, 2025 at the University of the Federal Armed Forces in Munich. It was organized by Prof. Dr. Robert Langer, Dr. Evelyn Reuter and Prof. Dr. Cem Kara. The aim was to shed light on the diverse religious, social and economic dynamics surrounding Sufi sites from a global perspective.

The first day of the workshop focused on the keynote lecture by Maren Freudenberg (CERES), whose presentation opened up new perspectives on the relationship between religion and economics for the participants. In her contribution, she showed how religions can be understood as economic actors. The economics of religion approach compares religions with commercial enterprises, as they use very similar strategies and mechanisms to attract “consumers”, engage in marketing, organize resources and generate income. This approach enables a better understanding of how religious organizations operate in market-based contexts - and how spiritual offerings and religious places are influenced by economic mechanisms. Her presentation was met with great interest and formed a central basis for the subsequent discussions in the interactive part of the workshop on day two.

Foto © Universität der Bundeswehr München/Siebold

The further program ranged from historical to contemporary case studies, featuring Sufi complexes in Pakistan, retreats in Spain, and the Tidjani shrine in Fez. The contributions illustrated how Sufi sites are not only spiritual hubs, but also increasingly function as educational centers, tourist destinations or places of intercultural exchange. In a second panel, the transformation of religious places of worship into cultural monuments was discussed - for example in Turkey, Kyrgyzstan or China, where political influence strongly influences or restricts religious use.

The event was rounded off by an interactive exchange in a workshop format, in which the theoretical impulses and case studies were deepened through small group work. The symbolic meaning, contexts, locations, actors and financing models of Sufi sites were discussed. The aim was to gain general insights into the management of such places between religion, culture and economics based on the keynote lecture, the case studies and other keynote speeches.

The workshop provided innovative insights into the interplay between spirituality, culture and economics - and illustrated how religious spaces function today in a wide variety of contexts.

Link to the program of the workshop: https://www.unibw.de/home/veranstaltungen/zentrale-termine/international-workshop-managing-sufi-lodges-and-shrines-an-exploratory-approach-towards-a-contribution-to-religion-and-the-economy