1 Adela Toplean, “When All Communication Breaks. Towards a Sociological Understanding of Religious Commitment and Interpersonal Behaviour, in a Multicultural Society” in the Conference Proceedings Volume of International Colloquium of Cultural Studies and Communication Sciences Places, Boundaries, Communities. Mapping Identities in a Dis(connected) World , Silvia Marin Barutcieff, Cristina Bogdan (eds.), Editura UB, București, CNCS B (to be published). WHEN ALL COMMUNICATION BREAKS. TOWARDS A SOCIOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING OF RELIGIOUS COMMITMENT AND INTERPERSONAL BEHAVIOUR, IN A MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY Assistant Professor Dr. Adela TOPLEAN New Europe College, Institute for Advanced Studies Faculty of Letters, University of Bucharest In this brief study, I will roughly look at a few possible connections between one’s own religious commitment and the perception of the Other. I will take as a starting point the problem of death, and I will conduct my reasoning by using both perspectives on defining religion: substantive and functional. By all means, the most difficult truth to accept is that we are all going to die one day. The extreme harshness of the reality of death makes it difficult for us to remain open to nuances when we find ourselves in danger. The threat of death stirs all our basic instincts and irrational patterns of behaviour and imagination. When death - especially violent and sudden death 1 - enters the scene, all communication breaks. Broadly speaking, all religions take care, in one way or another, of the problem of death. Looking at religion from a substantial perspective 2 , we choose to focus on religious contents: various systems of beliefs consisting of religious norms, sets of dogmas, ritual practices etc. It is expected from a religion to take care of the problem of death in ways that are more efficient than, say, psychology or philosophy. Religions explain death in prospective terms, that is, all religions stress the importance of an otherworldly reward 3 . Also, generally (and substantially) speaking, all religions are backed up by an intelligible tradition concerned with the “management” of the resources of “goodness" and “truth” (whatever this may mean) from this world. A tradition is built around the transcendent significance of the required tactics 1 See Pargament’s perspective on religious coping and the importance of psychological shielding from danger: Kenneth I. Pargament, The Psychology of Religion and Coping: Theory, Research, Practice, New York, Guilford Press, 1997.bSee also Kenneth I. Pargament, C. L. Park, “Merely a defense? The variety of religious means and ends” in Journal of Social Issues, 512, 1995, pp. 13-32. 2 A pertinent overview was recently written by George Lundskow, The Sociology of Religion. A Substantive and Transdisciplinary Approach, Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore, Sage Publications, 2008. 3 David Albert Jones, Approaching the End, A Theological Exploration of Death and Dying, Oxford, New York, NY, Oxford University Press 2007, p. 17.