Conference: Religion in Turbulent Times
The Centre for Multidisciplinary Research on Religion and Society at Uppsala University invites contributions to the international conference
Religion in Turbulent Times: Challenges for Society, Democracy, and Human Dignity
Uppsala University, Sweden, 23-24 August 2027
(post-conference workshop for doctoral students 25 August)
In an uncertain and at times frightening world existential issues appear due to feelings of insecurity arising from war, terror, the climate catastrophe, threats of pandemics and advancing technology. In such circumstances, religion appears in a positive as well as negative light. Religious faith can be a source of motivation for both humanitarian action and reactionary violence. Religious organisations can mobilize for democratic change and shore up oppressive structures.
In addition, the religious landscape of Europe is continually changing. Migrations, provoked by international conflicts, poverty and environmental disaster have brought new challenges to secular states regarding the handling of religious and cultural pluralism. Religious traditions and convictions raise issues for states, local governments, lawyers, healthcare workers, and teachers–in practice for all citizens. At the same time secularist counter-reactions oppose religious visibility in the public sphere and religious/ethnic pluralism is questioned by right wing groups. Increasing racism related to religion and religiously motivated terror, adds energy to growing polarizations.
These ongoing changes provoke questions regarding the role of religion in democracy, human rights, law, family life, healthcare, well-being, welfare and science and religion has become a crucial research area in a wide variety of academic disciplines. Thus, there is a need to reconsider the concept of religion and to rethink theoretical and methodological approaches.
The conference offers an interdisciplinary forum for sharing recent research on the role of religion in both the public and the private sphere locally, nationally and internationally. It provides an opportunity to disseminate, share and discover a wide range of data and ideas within this expanding field. We expect contributions from legal scholars, human rights experts, social scientists, specialists in social policy, health and welfare, philosophers, historians and scientists, as well as those engaged directly in theology and religious studies.
We are particularly interested in how religion (in all its diversity) influences different sectors of society and how they in turn influence religion(s).
The conference is hosted by The Centre for Multidisciplinary Research on Religion and Society at Uppsala University