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 programme?
  • that you can learn more about the self-image of the subject Religious Studies, the cultural studies discipline on the topic of "religion", here?
  • that EU/EEA/CH citizens do not pay tuition for their B.A./M.A./Ph.D. studies? Non-EU/EEA citizens are required to pay tuition fees of 749.42 Euro/semester.This includes all degree programmes (B.A./M.A./Ph.D.).

 News

  • The Department congratulates Marleen Thaler on receiving the Faculty Prize for the best Ph.D. thesis in Religious Studies.
  • Congratulations to Konstantin Aron Moser on receiving the Wilhelm Keilbach Prize for the best M.A. thesis in Religious Studies in 2024.
  • The Religious Studies Workshop Series will be continued also this semester. The first workshop will take place on 28 October from 11:30 to 13:00 in Seminar Room 1. It will be led by Robert Wurzrainer and is entitled "AI in Studies: New Opportunities, New Rules?". Here you can find the poster and further information about the workshop.
  • This winter semester, Ramón Soneira-Martínez from the Austrian Academy of Sciences is organising a "Reading Group on Theory & Method in Religion" together with Prof. Asuman Lätzer-Lasar. The focus is on the application of theory and methodology from religious studies in classical philology and archaeology. The first session deals with the concept of religious "atmosphere" and will take place on 28 October at 17:30 in the seminar room of the Department of Classical Archaeology. If you are interested in participating, please contact Dr. Soneira-Martínez.
  • On Wednesday, 5 November, the Vienna Sociological Association is organising a lecture by Prof. Jörg Stolz (University of Lausanne) entitled "Is there global secularisation? On the future of religion(s)."  Further information about the event can be found here.
  • Prof. Karl Baier will be offering a guided tour of the exhibition "Hidden Modernism – The Fascination of the Occult around 1900" at the Leopold Museum on Wednesday, 26 November. The museum is offering discounted tickets for this tour. For registration, please contact the Department via e-mail.
  • The General Assembly of the Austrian Society for the Study of Religions (ÖGRW) has elected a new Executive Board. We are delighted that numerous colleagues from Vienna are part of the new Executive Board.
    President: Lukas K. Pokorny (Vienna)
    Vice President: Franz Winter (Graz)
    Secretary: Robert Wurzrainer (Vienna)
    Vice Secretary: Nicole M. Bauer (Graz)
    Treasurer: Astrid Mattes (Vienna)
    Vice-Treasurer: Marleen Thaler (Graz/Vienna)
    Extended Board: Karsten Lehmann (Vienna); Martin Rötting (Salzburg); Dirk Schuster (Vienna)
    Financial Auditors: Leona Mörth-Nicola (Vienna); Dominic Zoehrer (Vienna)
  • The House of Austrian History hosted an event co-organised by the Department on Monday, 20 October, featuring lectures and discussions on the topic of "Austria's Public Holidays under Examination.". Dirk Schuster gave the first lecture of the evening – further information about the event can be found here.
  • On 7 October, Samuel Thévoz and Dolores Zoé Bertschinger were hosting a workshop on women's contributions to research on Asian religions entitled "From Archives to Herstory". The program and further informations on the workshop can be found here.
  • The University of Vienna's bulletin has published the new curriculum for the Master's program in Study of Religions (Version 2025), which will come into effect on 1 October 2025. In addition, the two new extension curricula, "Study of Religions: An Introduction" and "Study of Religions: The Major Religions," were published as well in the bulletin and will also come into effect on 1 October 2025. Further information on the curricula can be found here.
  • The new application form for the recognition of credits for the Master's program in Study of Religions (Version 2025) can be accessed here.
  • The current guidelines of the Faculty of Catholic Theology and the University of Vienna on the use of AI in academic studies as well as further links on AI in teaching and studying can be found here.
  • For students of Religious Studies, we are offering our mentoring program again this semester for questions and difficulties during their studies. You can find more information here.
  • In the new QS World University Ranking by Subject 2025, the University of Vienna's Theology and Religious Studies Cluster ranks 29th worldwide.

 New Publications

  • Lukas K. Pokorny:
    1. "Millenarismus: Definition, Theorie, Systematik." In Michael Stausberg and Katharina Wilkens, eds. 2025. Religionswissenschaft. Aktuelle Annäherungen. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 185–195.
    2. and Leona Mörth-Nicola, and Kerstin Tretina, eds. 2025. Blicklichter und Grenzgänge: Interdisziplinäre Perspektiven auf Religion, Gender und das Lebensende [Illuminations and Border Walks/Crossings: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Religion, Gender, and the End of Life]. Paderborn: Brill Schöningh.
    3. and Rossella Ferrari, Rudiger Frank, and Ina Hein, eds. 2025. Vienna Journal of East Asian Studies, Volume 16. Paderborn: Brill Schöningh.
    4. and Franz Winter, eds. 2025. Euro-American Esoteric Perspectives on East Asia. Vienna Journal of East Asian Studies, Volume 16 (Special Issue).
    5. "'The Way, the Truth, and the Light': Franz Hartmann's Daodejing." Vienna Journal of East Asian Studies, Volume 16: 25–49.
    6. and Franz Winter. 2025. "Preface to the Special Issue 'Euro-American Esoteric Perspectives on East Asia'." Vienna Journal of East Asian Studies, Volume 16: 1–3.
    7. and Leona Mörth-Nicola, and Kerstin Tretina. 2025. "Einleitung: Blicklichter und Grenzgänge [Introduction: Illuminations and Border Walks/Crossings]." In Lukas K. Pokorny, Leona Mörth-Nicola and Kerstin Tretina, eds. Blicklichter und Grenzgänge: Interdisziplinäre Perspektiven auf Religion, Gender und das Lebensende [Illuminations and Border Walks/Crossings: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Religion, Gender, and the End of Life]. Paderborn: Brill Schöningh, IX–XXIX.
    8. "Kōfuku no Kagaku and the Boiling Cauldron." In Lukas K. Pokorny, Leona Mörth-Nicola and Kerstin Tretina, eds. 2025. Blicklichter und Grenzgänge. Interdisziplinäre Perspektiven auf Religion, Gender und das Lebensende [Illuminations and Border Walks/Crossings: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Religion, Gender, and the End of Life]. Paderborn: Brill Schöningh, 287–301.
    9. "Japanese Buddhism in Austria." In Jørn Borup and Elisabetta Porcu, eds. Japanese Buddhism in Europe. Leiden and Boston: Brill, 107–126.
  • Dirk Schuster:
    1. "Les Allemands, peuple élu de Dieu: Une théologie du 'Troisième Reich' [The Germans, God's Chosen People: A Theology of the 'Third Reich']." In ReLRace - Religions, lignages et «race».
  • Karl Baier:
    1. "Vienna as a Hub of the Occult-Reformist International." In Matthias Dusini, Ivan Ristić and Hans-Peter Wipplinger, eds. 2025. Hidden Modernism. The Fascination with the Occult Around 1900. Köln: Verlag der Buchhandlungen Walther und Franz König, 10–25.
    2. "Dasein ohne Warum [Existance without a Why]." In Österreichisches Institut für Daseinsanalyse, eds. 2025. Alles Sein ist Gabe. Festschrift zum 95. Geburtstag von Augustinus Karl Wucherer-Huldenfeld [All being is a gift. Commemorative publication on the occasion of the 95th birthday of Augustinus Karl Wucherer-Huldenfeld]. Wien: Österreichisches Institut für Daseinsanalyse, 58–69.
    3. "Katholische Seherinnen der frühen Moderne [Catholic female seers of the early modern
    era]." In Lukas K. Pokorny, Leona Mörth-Nicola and Kerstin Tretina, eds. 2025. Blicklichter und Grenzgänge. Interdisziplinäre Perspektiven auf Religion, Gender und das Lebensende [Illuminations and Border Walks/Crossings: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Religion, Gender, and the End of Life]. Paderborn: Brill Schöningh, 111–137.
    4. "Ariosophie – Walther Paapes Buch über Adolf Josef Lanz und das Neutempler-Priorat Staufen in Dietfurt im Spiegel der Forschungsgeschichte [Ariosophy – Walther Paape's book about Adolf Josef Lanz and the Priory of the New Templars at Staufen in Dietfurt as reflected in the history of research]." In Zeitschrift für Hohenzollerische Geschichte 2025, 189–208.
    5. "Friedrich Schlegels esoterischer Katholizismus im Kontext seines Werks [Friedrich Schlegel's esoteric Catholicism in the context of his work]." In Viktoria Vitanova-Kerber and Helmut Zander, eds. 2025. Esoteric Catholicism / Esoterischer Katholizismus. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. 135–188.
  • Hüseyin Çiçek:
    1. "Der lange Atem der Autokratie [The long breath of autocracy]." In Internationale Politik Special 1/2025, 14–19.
  • Johann Figl: 
    1. "Sinnlichkeit und kultisches Mahl – angesichts des Todes. Perspektiven Feuerbachs und Nietzsches. [Sensuality and the Cultic Feast – In the Face of Death. Perspectives of Feuerbach and Nietzsche]." In Petrus Bsteh and Brigitte Proksch, eds. 2025. Das Mahl mit Lebenden und Toten – ein Kultgeschehen [The Meal with the Living and the Dead – a Cult Event]. Wien: LIT Verlag, 185–197. 
    2.     "Säkulares Todesverständnis als Alternative zur religiösen Jenseitsorientierung. Motive der Kritik Nietzsches und Irvin D. Yaloms Rezeption [A Secular Understanding of Death as an Alternative to a Religious Orientation Towards the Afterlife. Motives of Criticism of Nietzsche and Irvin D. Yalom's Reception]." In Lukas K. Pokorny, Leona Mörth-Nicola and Kerstin Tretina, eds. 2025 Blicklichter und Grenzgänge. Interdisziplinäre Perspektiven auf Religion, Gender und das Lebensende [Illuminations and Border Walks/Crossings: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Religion, Gender, and the End of Life]. Paderborn: Brill Schöningh, 349–367.
  • Hans Gerald Hödl:
    1. "Queens and Mothers. Knappe Bemerkungen zur Rolle von Frauen in New Orleans Voodoo und Spiritual Churches [Queens and Mothers: Some brief remarks on the role of women in New Orleans Voodoo and Spiritual Churches]." In Lukas K. Pokorny, Leona Mörth-Nicola und Kerstin Tretina, Hg. Blicklichter und Grenzgänge. Interdisziplinäre Perspektiven auf Religion, Gender und das Lebensende [Illuminations and Border Walks/Crossings: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Religion, Gender, and the End of Life]. Paderborn: Brill Schöningh, 157–176.
  • Pavel Horák:
    1. "Occult Use of Race, Ethnicity, and Nationalism: Slavic and German Occultism in Comparison." In Aries – Journal for the Study of Western Esotericism (published online ahead of print 2025). 1–29.
  • Tao Thykier Makeeff:
    1. "Dantians and Dragons: Paracorporeality and the Euro-American Reception of Chinese Martial Arts Spiritualities." In Vienna Journal of East Asian Studies, Volume 16: 223–254.
    2. and Jane Haug Skjoldli, and Fredrik Gregorius, eds. 2025. Forum: Back to Blood: Pursuing a Future from the Norse Past. Journal of for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture, Volume 19(2).
    3. and Fredrik Gregorious, and Jane Haug Skjoldli. 2025. "Introduction to the Special Issue Forum: Back to Blood: Pursuing a Future from the Norse Past." In Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture, 19(2): 147–150.
    4. "Warriors, Weather, and Wolves oh My! Environmental Determinism and Transspecies Roleplaying in Modern Viking Identity." In Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture, Volume 19(2): 151–175.
  • Davide Marino:
    1. and Milan Reith. "Pagan Imperialisms: Julius Evola’s 'Esoteric Collaborationism'." In Aries – Journal for the Study of Western Esotericism, 25(2), 194-225.
    2. "The Path to Gnosis: a Microhistory." In Vienna Journal of East Asian Studies, Volume 16: 83–110.
    3. "The Tao of Julius Evola." In Vienna Journal of East Asian Studies, Volume 16: 111–141.
  • Moritz Maurer:
    1. and Philipp Kranemann. "’Ezra and Nehemia’: Bibelcomic, das Brettspiel? [Ezra and Nehemiah: Bible comic, the board game?]. In Boardgame Historian: Geschichte und Gesellschaft in analogen Spielen [Boardgame Historian: History and Society in Analog Games] (02.09.25).
    2. "Dynamitgrüße vom Architekturenthusiasten." In Jungle World 2025 (41), 10–11.
    3. "The Tartarian Empire: Conspirituality, Pop Culture, and the End of the Past." In Nova Religion: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions, Volume 29(1): 5–34.
    4. "Reading Evola in Germany." In Aries – Journal for the Study of Western Esotericism, 25(2): 226–257.
  • Ivana Ryška Vajdová:
    1. "Jung's Kant: Between Philosophical Inspiration and Creative Manipulation." In Spirituality Studies 11(1): 41–57.
  • Samuel Thévoz:
    1. "From Dzogchen to Chán via Zen (and Beyond): A Fictional Controversy on Buddhist Meditation in a Post-war Tibetan Novel in French." In Vienna Journal of East Asian Studies 2025 (published online ahead of print). 1–49.
    2. "Un bgrang ’phreng et deux bagues d’initiée: d’un ascète l’autre: Un épisode oublié des Souvenirs d’une Parisienne au Thibet, avec présentation et annotations." In Revue de la Maison Alexandra David-Neel 2025 (1), 28–37.
    3. and Jeanne Mascolo de Filippis. "Des Souvenirs au Voyage et retour: Alexandra David-Neel et l’objectif "Lhassa": Des difficultés du terrain à arpenter aux défis du récit à publier (Chapitre 1)." In Revue de la Maison Alexandra David-Neel 2025 (1), 6–27.
    4. "Histoire d’une revenante: le premier récit de voyage à Lhassa ou le bar do d’Alexandra David-Neel. In Octave Mirbeau: Etudes et actualités 2025 (6),  93–116.
  • Human-Friedrich Unterrainer:
    1. and Jürgen Fuchshuber, Victor Blüml, Nestor Kapusta, Henriette Löffler-Stastka, Johanna Alexopoulos, Elisa Renner and Hugo Senra. 2025. "Trauma, personality structure and psychopathology: a cartography of psychodynamic constructs." In Borderline Personality Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation 12 (31), 1–14.
    2. "Oceanic states of consciousness – an existential-neuroscience perspective." In Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2025 (19): 1653801. 
    3. and Tobias Herzl, Jürgen Fuchshuber, Sarah Straßnig, Afrodita Latifi, Peter Walla and Andreas Fink. 2025. "The development and initial findings of a DISGUST scale." In Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 19: 1607506.
    4. and Alexandros Raftopoulos. 2025. "The envy-contempt spiral: affective self-regulation in grandiose narcissism." In Frontiers in Psychiatry 16: 1620201.
    5. "Addiction, attachment, and the brain: a focused review of empirical findings and future directions." In Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2025 (19): 1625880.
    6. and Jürgen Fuchshuber, Nestor D. Kapusta and Victor Blüml. 2025. "Mapping childhood trauma and personality organization: A network approach." In Psychoanalytic Psychology 42 (4), 181–190.
    7. and Zoe Zipper, Eisa Renner, Raphael Wimmer, Hannah Brössler, Jasmin Brouschek, Jürgen Fuchshuber, and Anja Ischebeck. 2025. "Personality functioning mediates the relationship between negative primary emotions and tobacco use." In Journal of Affective Disorders Volume 385: 119398.
    8.  and Sarah Straßnig, Tobias Herzl, Afrodita Lafiti, Jürgen Fuchshuber, and Paul Jimenez. 2025. "Oceanic feelings and their relationship to spirituality and personality organization." In Frontiers in Psychology Volume 16: 1558537. 
    9.  and Raphael Wimmer, Elisa Renner, Zoe Zipper, Hannah Brössler, Jasmin Brouschek, Jürgen Fuchshuber, Andreas Schwerdtfegerm, and Alfred Uhl. 2025. "Attachment Patterns Mediate the Relationship Between Primary Emotions and Gaming Disorder Tendencies." In: International Journal of Mental Health and Addictions 2025.
    10. and Sabine Sammer-Schreckenthaler, Gloria Lagetto, and Omar C. G. Gelo. 2025. "Specific and common therapeutic factors in psychodynamic psychotherapy for children and adolescents: an overview." In Frontiers in Psychology Volume 16: 1525849.
    11. and Elisa Renner, Raphael Wimmer, Zoe Zipper, Hannah Brössler, Jasmin Brouschek, Jürgen Fuchshuber, and Wolfgang Beiglböck. 2025. "Affects, dissociative symptoms and addictive behaviours: Insights from clinical and non-clinical samples." In Journal of Affective Disorders Volume 370: 481–488.
    12. and Michaela Hiebler, Hannah Brössler, Raphael Wimmer, Zoe Zipper, Elisa Renner, Jasmin Brouschek, Jürgen Fuchshuber, and Aljoscha Neubauer. 2025. "The German version of the Bergen Yale Sex Addiction Scale (BYSAS): psychometric properties and initial steps of validation." In BMC Psychology Volume 13: 109.
    13. and Jürgen Fuchshuber, Karl Koschutnig, Andreas Fink, Johanna Alexopoulos, and Henriette Löffler-Stastka. 2025. "Effects of insecure attachment on fMRI resting state functional connectivity in poly drug use disorder." In PLoS ONE 20 (2): e0318505.
    14. and Jürgen Fuchshuber, Marina Zeldovich, Gabor Aranyi, Lisa Winter, Martin Kuska, Dominique Dumont, and Elke Humer. 2025. "Uncovering the Internal Structure of the German Version of the CORE-OM: A Network Analysis." In Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy 32 (2): e70063.
    15. "On the wings of Icarus – the need for transcendence in addictive diseases. In Frontiers in Psychiatry Volume 16: 1563871.
    16. and Elke Humer, Johanna Thea Büttner, and Thomas Probst. 2025. "Religious/Spiritual Well-Being across psychotherapeutic orientations: A comparative study among Austrian psychotherapists." In Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health: 1–20.
    17. and Gabor Aranyi, Elke Humer, Martina Kuska, Lisa Winter, and Marina Zeldovich. 2025. "The German version of the Clinical Outcome in Routine Evaluation – Outcome Measure (CORE-OM): Factorial validity, internal consistency, and gender differences in a large outpatient sample." In: Psychotherapy Research: 1–19.
  • Robert Wurzrainer:
    1. "Krieg und Frieden als Themen im Ethikunterricht. Grundlagen und Herausforderungen [War and Peace as Topics in Ethics Lessons. Basics and Challenges]." In Uta Heil and Annette Schellenberg-Lagler, eds. Krieg und Frieden [War and Peace]. Wien: V&R unipress, Vienna University Press. 245–258.
  • Dominic Zoehrer:
    1."'Medical Men in the New Age': Alice Bailey’s Impact on Contemporary Energy Healing." In Religions, 16(5): 643.