If interspirituality and multiple religious belonging were centered in Interreligious Studies, what might be different about the field?

In the Western world, we are witnessing the emergence of hybrid forms of religiosity; individuals who do not identify or belong to one religious tradition but identify with or combine elements from multiple religious traditions. Research has shown that people with a multiple religious belonging comprise as much as 24% of the population in the Netherlands, making it one of the largest religious minorities in the country. The word “belonging” has strong emotional connotations. The occurrence of people with a multiple religious belonging, a hybrid religious practice or a multi-religious identity invites us, scholars of religion, to reimagine religious belonging beyond a common understanding of “belonging to a religion”. The multiplicity of religious beliefs and practices to which individuals connect creates a new framework in which individuals experience a sense of rhizomatic belonging, which is both beyond religious traditions.