Did you know...

  • that Religious Studies is not a theological discipline, but a non-denominational, cultural studies subject?
  • that Religious Studies can also be studied without basic studies (Bachelor/Master/Doctorate) within the framework of the Bachelor Religious Education (Religious Studies Education)?
  • that condition-free admission to the MA Religious Studies is possible after completing the two extension curricula in any undergraduate program?
  • that almost any undergraduate degree (Bachelor, Master, Doctorate) can be used for admission to the MA Religious Studies?
  • that required courses (usually consisting of the two extension curricula) can be completed not only before the start of the study program but also during the study program?
  • that you can learn more about the self-image of the subject Religious Studies, the cultural studies discipline on the topic of "religion", here?

News

  • An article by Ursula Baatz entitled "Bergkarabach: Die Furcht vor einem Ethnozid" was published in Die Furche (September 28, 2023).
  • We cordially welcome Ursula Baatz as a Research Fellow. While at the Department she conducts research on the influence of Buddhist meditation practices in psychotherapy.
  • A new review of The Occult Nineteenth Century (edited by Lukas K. Pokorny and Franz Winter in honour of Karl Baier) has just been published in the journal Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft (University of Pennsylvania Press). You find the review by Marina Alexandrova (The University of Texas at Austin) here.
  • We cordially welcome Samuel Thévoz as a Research Fellow. While at the Department he works on the reception of Tibeten Buddhism in France and Europe.
  • We cordially welcome Robert Wurzrainer as our new Departmental Coordinator. Mr Wurzrainer also takes over the Religious Studies mentoring programme.
  • Thanks to a generous donation, the Department of Religious Studies was able to receive for its Quellenbibliothek parts of the archive of the Austrian Buddhist Religious Society.
  • In the new QS World University Ranking by Subject 2023, the University of Vienna's Theology and Religious Studies Cluster ranks 28th worldwide.
  • You can follow now the Department on Twitter and join more than 1000 followers who regularly get updates about our courses, publications, exams, and other events! 

New Publications

  • Lukas K. Pokorny:
    1. "Les millénarismes en Asie de l'Est [Millenarianisms in East Asia]." In: Ludivine Bantigny, Quentin Deluermoz, Boris Gobille, Laurent Jeanpierre, and Eugénia Palieraki, eds. Une histoire globale des révolutions. Paris: Editions La Découverte, 877–881.
    2. and Ugo Dessì, eds. 2023. Exploring Asian Religions in Europe. Interdisciplinary Journal for Religion and Transformation in Contemporary Society (Special Issue), 9 (1).
    3. "Exploring East Asian Religiosity in Austria: Current State, Desiderata, and Challenges." Interdisciplinary Journal for Religion and Transformation in Contemporary Society, 9 (1), 233–249.
    4. and Ugo Dessì. 2023. "Exploring Asian Religions in Europe: An Introduction." Interdisciplinary Journal for Religion and Transformation in Contemporary Society, 9 (1), 1–7.
    5. "40 Jahre ÖBR: Ein Blick von Seiten der Wissenschaft." In: Verantwortung leben: Festschrift zum ÖBR Jubiläumsjahr 2023. 40 Jahre staatliche Anerkennung des Buddhismus in Österreich. Wien: Verlag Mediendesign Hanten und Hauptfeld OG, 96–97.

  • Karl Baier:
    "Lavaters Anomalistik." In: Christian Soboth und Friedemann Stengel, Hg., Der bekannteste Unbekannte des 18. Jahrhunderts. Johann Caspar Lavater im Kontext. Göttingen: Vandenhoek & Ruprecht, 209–285.

  • Joseph Chadwin:
    "Chinese Families and Their Encounter with the Secular: An Ethnographic Study of Chinese Parents and Their Children in Edinburgh." Interdisciplinary Journal for Religion and Transformation in Contemporary Society, 9 (1), 186–212.

  • Hüseyin I. Çiçek:
    "René Girard’s Mimetic Theory and Its Value in Understanding Sura Maryam: A Mimetic Analysis of Mythical, Biblical, and Apocryphal Transformations." Religions, 14 (7): 1–9.

  • Ugo Dessì:
    1. and Lukas K. Pokorny, eds. 2023. Exploring Asian Religions in Europe. Interdisciplinary Journal for Religion and Transformation in Contemporary Society (Special Issue), 9 (1).
    2. "Globalization and Asian Religions in the Scuola di Meditazione." Interdisciplinary Journal for Religion and Transformation in Contemporary Society, 9 (1), 213–232.
    3. and Lukas K. Pokorny. 2023. "Exploring Asian Religions in Europe: An Introduction." Interdisciplinary Journal for Religion and Transformation in Contemporary Society, 9 (1), 1–7.

  • Johann Figl:
    1. In the Center of Religions: Belief and Practice of Universal Religious Movements. Suresnes: Nekbakht Foundation. (English revised Edition of Die Mitte der Religionen, Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft 1993).
    2. "Perspektiven im Verhältnis zwischen monotheistischen Religionen und nicht-theistischem Buddhismus." In: Verantwortung leben: Festschrift zum ÖBR Jubiläumsjahr 2023. Wien: Verlag Mediendesign Hanten und Hauptfeld OG, 46–50.

  • Nickolas Roubekas:
    "Historicizing and Deconstructing 'Religion': A Short Overview of a Persisting Problem". In: Christianz Danz and Jakob Helmut Deibl, Hg., Transformation of Religion: Interdisciplinary Perspectives. Paderborn: Brill Schöningh, 19–33.

  • Robert Segal:
    Myth Theorized. Sheffield: Equinox.

  • Marleen Thaler:
    "Of Crops, Dragons, and Re-enchanted Landscapes: John Mitchell's Impact on British Earth Mysteries." In: Interdisciplinary Journal for Religion and Transformation in Contemporary Society, 2023, 1–25.

  • Human-Friedrich Unterrainer:
    1. et al. "Effect of Yoga Involvement on Mental Health in Times of Crisis: A Cross-sectional Study." Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1096848.
    2. et al. "Development and Validation of the Multidimensional Inventory for Religious/Spiritual Well-Being 18 Item Version (MI-RSWB-18)." Personality and Individual Differences, 209, 112213.
    3. et al. "Effects of Metabolic Syndrome on Stress Coping Strategies in Individuals with Depressive Disorder." Metabolites, 13, 652.
    4. "The Multidimensional Measurement of Religious/Spiritual Well-Being: Recent Developments in Scale Validation and Clinical Applications." Religions, 14 (7), 1–14.
    5. et al. "Psychophysiological Stress Response After a 6-week Mindful Self-Compassion Training in Psychiatric Rehabilitation Inpatients: A Randomized Post-test Only Study." Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14, 1098122.
    6. et al. "The German Version of the Brief Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales including a LUST Scale (BANPS–GL)." Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 17, 1213156
    7. "On the Trail of Sisyphus - Addiction as an Existential Neurosis?" Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14, 1243792.