Entanglement has been on the agenda of scholars active in global history and postcolonial studies for some time. At present, processes of disentanglement are increasingly coming into focus. However, it is important to note that processes of disentanglement may be restricted to certain fields, such as politics, while entangling links may continue to exist in other areas, such as religious institutions. In this perspective, concepts and terms such as disassemblage, blockade, betrayal, purification and differentiation may provide a basis for understanding the rearrangement of particular elements within fields marked by specific cultural and social factors.
Processes of disentanglement therefore constitute one of the major issues of the Münster workshop. In addition to that, the conference aims at shedding new light on processes of entanglement in two further dimensions: first, use of material objects, and second, narratives of (dis)entanglement.
We can detect moments of entanglement and disentanglement in specific practices, including the composition of texts as well as handling material artefacts. In many cases, material objects serve as a basis for networks. Religious authorities often used artefacts such as books, manuscripts, buildings, textiles or images to enhance their legitimacy or to mark themselves off from others. Use of religiously charged artefacts entails definitions of in-groups and out-groups, everyday use of objects may draw communities close to each other, but it may also drive them apart.
Narratives of entanglement and disentanglement, on their part, can characterize stories told by members of different cultures about the emergence of their own group and its demarcation from “others”. Such narratives may involve acceptance, denial, re-interpretation or even invention of transcultural interaction.