Interreligious Dialogue as a Communicative Process: Intersubjectivity and Misunderstandings in Brescia

Abstract\r\nThis article stems from the PRIN GOV_REL (Urban Governance of Interreligious Dialogue)\r\nresearch project carried out in four Italian cities in 2023–2025 and reports on some preliminary\r\nresults of the empirical enquiry held in the city of Brescia. The Brescia area is\r\ncharacterised by high rates of residents with an immigrant background and a consolidated\r\npresence of religious minorities (Muslim, Orthodox, Sikh, Hindu and Protestant groups),\r\nmany recognised centres (mosques, temples and Christian non-Catholic churches) and a\r\nsignificant commitment of ethnic–religious communities to local public life. This paper\r\nexamines the creation of grassroots-level interreligious dialogue, seen as a communicative\r\nprocess. The empirical evidence is based on material collected by participant observations\r\nand semi-structured interviews regarding four initiatives that occurred in 2024. A sociocultural\r\nanalysis outlines the communicative frame: text; context; aims; acts; interlocutors\r\nand their power/freedom of expression; interactions; results. The article examines the\r\ncommunicative pattern of each initiative, considering an intercultural orientation and a\r\npluralistic model of interfaith dialogue. It seeks to answer the following questions: what\r\nwas the fundamental message that the promoters wanted to convey? How do the single\r\nactors communicate their perspective of religious “others”, and what results did they\r\nachieve or not achieve? The analysis leads to identifying the patterns that facilitate and/or\r\nhamper dialogue, taking into account misunderstandings and “cul-de-sac” aspects. Final\r\nrecommendations highlight the recurrent breaking points that should be prevented and\r\nsome premises to guarantee successful communication between members of different\r\nreligions in multicultural urban spaces.