Subject History

The academic study of the history of religions at Uppsala University goes back to the mid-18th century. Then the question concerned the defence of Christianity against the religious traditions about which new knowledge had been gained. Later, the religions would be understood from social as well as psychological and historical perspectives, which in turn laid the foundation for a close connection between the history of religion and the study of religious behaviour. With Nathan Söderblom, professor of the discipline 1901-1914, the study of the history of religions was established at Uppsala University. One of his many decisive contributions was the publication of Främmande religionsurkunder (1908), where contemporary experts in various language fields translated central religious documents from around the world into Swedish. Under Geo Widengren, professor of history of religion and psychology of religion 1940-1973, the discipline developed towards an idea-historical and comparative perspective, a tradition that would be carried on by Jan Bergman, professor 1975-1999. The most recent professor of History of Religions, Mattias Gardell, has emphasised the importance of history of religions in the light of contemporary and political expressions and processes.

World Christianity, together with Mission History, was formerly called Mission Studies. The first professor of Mission Studies in Uppsala was KB Westman who between 1930 and 1949 held a personal Chair in mission history and East Asian history of religions. His successor, Bengt Sundkler (Professor 1949-1975), became one of the Faculty of Theology's internationally best known scholars through his pioneering work on indigenous African churches. In the 1970s, Carl-Fredrik Hallencreutz and Sigbert Axelson introduced studies of churches in relation to colonialism and politics as a main theme in the discipline. The academic study of mission and global Christianity today has a historical-anthropological focus in World Christianity, and a historical focus in Mission History.