Church History and Mission History

Church history and missionary history encompass the study of Christian churches, denominations, and groups from ancient times to the present day. The geographic, chronological, and denominational breadth is extensive. Investigations can focus on doctrines and more or less formal theological reflection, but also on studies of organization, individuals, and practical church life and piety. A common feature of our research is the interest in changes in a specific historical context, where factors such as intellectual history, legal matters, politics, communication, and, in a broad sense, social and economic factors are significant. Church history and missionary history are thus a research subject where Christian beliefs and practices are analyzed as part of their time's more general historical contexts.

In Uppsala, church history is focused on the Nordic region and Europe as a whole over the past five hundred years. We have long had particularly strong research competence regarding the Nordic region during the 19th and 20th centuries and are simultaneously strengthening our research competence regarding the early modern period.

Mission history research in Uppsala is primarily focused on Latin America, North America, Africa, and Asia during the European colonial era. The study of encounters and confrontations between different religions and cultures holds a central place. Another prioritized area is the study of the emergence of new religious movements with Christian roots and how they spread. Through empirically grounded analyses, we contribute to a greater understanding of change and continuity in concrete situations to counteract stereotypes and simplifications.