Representations of the Other and Intercultural Experiences in a Global Perspective (16th-20th Centuries)

The cohabitation of different cultures and the rise of new cultural and social clashes in more or less wide contexts (nation-states, macro- areas, civilizations) has pushed human sciences to examine themselves through an interdisciplinary point of view and to develop new categories in order to define the Other. Since the development of a multicultural approach to otherness was born in Early Modern culture, the book's main goal is to research such a historical process, beginning from the specific point of view developed by Jesuits between the 17th and 18th centuries. A specific focus will also be devoted to the discussion of today's intercultural and religious clashes in the Islamic world and in the Far East: in fact, in these contexts, religious movements have given a decisive contribution to the spread of strong paradigms, useful in representing the Other. Three chapters (those by M. Catto, E. Colombo and P. Broggio) will analyse the Jesuits' missionary strategies; P. Pizzo will give an overview on the Islamic world, and S. Picciaredda will study the debate on Otherness within the Catholic culture during the 20th century.