History of Religions and World Christianity

Introduction

In the discipline History of Religions and World Christianity, we research how religious writings, rituals, ideas about society and artistic expression have arisen, changed and been shaped. The discipline includes research on the long perspectives from early civilizations to contemporary religiously inspired political thinking and lived religion in everyday contexts. There are studies on the role of religions in various conflicts as well as research on religion as an inspiration for community building and political activism. By following religious traditions through history, and what expressions they take in our time, we can gain a deeper understanding of how people in different times have thought, acted, and created meaning.

Specialisation History of Religions

Within the specialization History of Religions, we study how religious beliefs, practices, rites and symbols develop in different historical, cultural and political contexts. This includes modern and contemporary settings, for example studies of lived religion from a historical perspective and reception history. The academic study of history of religions can, in principle, include all religious traditions found in the world. In Uppsala, the subject has primarily focused on older religious traditions in the Mediterranean world and South Asia, but has come to be broadened to various expressions of religious commitment in different geographical contexts. The theoretical and methodological frameworks are broad and varied, depending on the questions posed by the studied material and contexts. Methods are found in fields such as history, philology, text, image and idea analysis, as well as anthropology. The study of the history of religion may include various forms of field studies, although the main focus is currently on textual and iconographic sources in a historical landscape.

Specialisation World Christianity

World Christianity focuses on how Christian churches, communities, organisations, and movements around the world operate in different contexts. Within this specialisation, various forms of Christianity are studied in an international perspective, where the focus is on the study of Christian churches and movements in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Here the theologies and practices of churches, groups, and individuals are examined, as well as encounters with other religious traditions and cultures, political systems or movements. Furthermore, relations between churches are researched through studies of migration, mission initiatives, and involvement in the form of development cooperation and activism. World Christianity places itself within a historical framework, and works with both historical and contemporary material. Both existing sources and material that the researchers themselves construct e.g. through interviews and observation notes are used. This field also includes research on intercultural theology, acculturation, evangelization and mission in a variety of contexts; conversions between religions and churches; as well as questions concerning inter-religious encounters and inter-religious dialogue.