The Governance of Religious Diversity Inside Urban Integration Agendas: Cases from the Ruhr Area in Germany

Abstract

This paper investigates how religious diversity is addressed within urban integration agendas in Germany, focusing on integration concepts from eleven metropolitan cities in the Ruhr Area. It analyses the inclusion of religious actors and inter-religious initiatives, exploring both the motivations of urban stakeholders and the normative implications for integration and social cohesion. While aligning with principles of diversity management, the study suggests that the political dimensions of inter-religious engagement may sometimes reinforce, rather than reduce, social and cultural boundaries.