Religion as a lifeworld : an alternative to secularist concept of religion in social work

Sammanfattning: The discourse on religious terrorism has stimulated interest in religion as a factor in social problems. Given that social workers arementioned as pivotal actors for preventing extremism and radicalisation, religion has acquired increased visibility in social work.This dissertation identifies a secularist concept of religion in the field of practice which regards religion either as a set of doctrines orteachings or as purely subjective and emotional. Practitioners who take the former position often try to disprove specifics doctrines.Practitioners who adopt the latter position try to change the inner inclinations of the subjects from, say, an extremist disposition to ademocratic one, or from radical Islam to ʻmainstream' Islam. Both approaches are inadequate because they both deprive religion of itsbodily and institutional setting.The alternative conceptualisation of religion proposed in this dissertation is rooted in phenomenology. If conceived of as a horizon ofmeaning that precedes individual choice and preference, while simultaneously being construed as open to reinterpretation, encountersbetween social workers and religious clients can be guided by openness, curiosity, reconciliation. Change could be achieved from within theclients' lifeworld rather than through confrontation and the advocating of drastic alternatives to their present lifeworld.