Community through Constitution: Opening Panel of the RECONCILE Project at the Cambridge Conference on Political Theologies

The RECONCILE research team opened the international conference Political Theologies of Constitutions, the Rule of Law, and the Common Good (University of Cambridge, 23–24 April 2026) with the panel “Community through Constitution,” setting the tone for two days of rich interdisciplinary exchange. The conference explored how constitutions function not only as legal frameworks but also as symbolic and normative foundations of political community in contexts marked by polarization and cultural fragmentation. The RECONCILE research team foregrounded the question of whether constitutions can still serve as shared spaces of meaning and belonging in pluralistic societies.

The panel featured contributions by Tomas Dumbrovsky and Volker Kaul (The Integrative Function of Constitutionalism), Anna Irene Baka and Lasse Nilsson (When the Constitution Speaks: How Language Shapes Identity and Conflict in the Digital Public Sphere), and Aycan Funda (Tolerance or Recognition? Rethinking Constitutional Belonging). The presentations offered complementary perspectives on the integrative potential of constitutionalism beyond established rights-based paradigms. The discussion emphasized the capacity of constitutions to shape collective identity, structure public discourse, and mediate social conflict. Particular attention was given to the ways in which constitutional meaning is produced and contested in contemporary settings, including the role of language and narrative, as well as evolving expectations of inclusion and belonging.

The panel was met with significant engagement from participants and set a productive agenda for subsequent discussions throughout the conference. It successfully highlighted the need to rethink constitutional theory in light of current societal transformations and demonstrated the value of interdisciplinary approaches in addressing these challenges.