Supervision

Major Areas of Supervision

Supervision for M.A. dissertations (and Ph.D. theses) in the Study of Religions (Religionswissenschaft) is conducted exclusively by members of the Department (see below). We advise that the selected dissertation topic is submitted for approval to the director of studies early in the process of the M.A. research. The relevant form can be found here. Ph.D. proposals are currently only being accepted by Lukas K. Pokorny.


Ancient Religions
Nickolas Roubekas

Supervision is offered in several ancient traditions, including but not restricted to Greek, Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and Roman religions. Prospective postgraduate students and Ph.D. candidates interested in ritual, beliefs, myths, and other aspects of ancient cultures in relation to religious practices and institutions are welcome to contact me. I am particularly interested in projects that question/challenge the basic constitutive element of this subfield, i.e., 'religions': What is meant by the term? Is it applicable to pre-monotheistic traditions? How can we productively use the term? Is there one or more sound methodological and theoretical approaches that can scientifically account for these ancient bodies of ‘religious’ ideas and practices?


Asian Diasporic, Alternative, and New Religion in the West
Lukas K. Pokorny

This is a regional extension to Western societies in general of the supervision area further below (i.e., Religion in Austria) but here limited to alternative, new, as well as Asian diasporic religions. Supervision can be offered to research pertaining to the (glocalised) development and contemporary manifestation of these forms of religious currents/institutions with a particular focus on the situation in Europe. The research may draw on a variety of methodologies and choose from the full range of approaches employed in Religious Studies. Comparative studies are especially welcome.


Atheism
Dirk Schuster

Atheistic ideas can be traced back to ancient times, although there is still controversy what exactly means atheism. From the Age of Enlightenment onwards, atheistic concepts increasingly emerged in Europe, which had a direct impact on society. The public discourse on cremation, which is partly influenced by atheistic assumptions, serves as a classic example of this. At the same time, atheistic concepts developed within the communist worldview from Karl Marx’s criticism of the church. In recent decades, it has been primarily “New Atheism,” with representatives such as Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins, that has propagated a science-based interpretation of the world, starting in the United States. From studies of the concept to historical-empirical and systematic-comparative studies, I am happy to supervise master’s theses on the subject of atheism. If you are interested, I would of course be happy to work with you to develop a suitable research question.


Early Christianity
Nickolas Roubekas

Although an admittedly vast area, I am primarily interested in topics that address issues of a broader theoretical interest, such as: how was Christianity 'invented'? How did early Christians form a new identity? How innovative was Christianity? What kind of argumentations were put forward by the early Christian authors? Students interested in the so-called Christian apologists (e.g., Justin Martyr, Athenagoras, Clement of Alexandria, Irenaeus of Lyon) and their writings in conjunction with the aforementioned questions are most welcome to contact me.


East Asian Religions
Lukas K. Pokorny

Whereas my main research interests lie in Buddhism and Confucianism, I offer supervision on the full range of East Asian religions past and present. Here East Asia comprises China/Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam, but I am also intrigued by the manifestation of East Asian religions (especially Confucianism) and the Theravāda in the countries of Southeast Asia. East Asian religions therefore relate to all religious phenomena with a notable historical heritage in the said countries, such as Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, Shintō, and the variegated folk religious traditions (e.g., musok, Đạo Mẫu). Text-based as well as ethnographic research is welcome, as are different approaches, be they historical, cultural, or social-scientific.


Empirical Methods of Religious Research
Astrid Mattes

As an expert in empirical research, I am happy to supervise theses that use qualitative or quantitative research methods. Depending on the topic, it must be decided whether I will take over the supervision completely or whether I would prefer to take on an advisory role on methodological issues.


Esotericism and Alternative Religious Movements
Lukas K. Pokorny

In my research I am particularly interested in the manifestations of the New Age (here especially the nexus with millenarianism), Theosophy, as well as the Euro-American esoteric reception of Asia. I offer supervision on all topics related to the study of esotericism. I understand "esotericism" as an umbrella notion comprising largely nonhegemonic teachings and currents with shared structural features, foremostly centering on the idea that higher or special (practical) knowledge distilled from a discourse deemed secretive can be (incrementally) utilized by its practitioners to salvific or otherwise self-cultivational ends, thereby uncovering ulterior dynamics of life, nature, and/or the cosmos at large.


Millenarianism
Lukas K. Pokorny

I define millenarianism as a belief focussing upon an all-embracing salvational transformation of the current world order. At present, I am particularly focused on exploring the distinctive ethnocentric and soteriological elements of the broad spectrum of millenarian expression of new religious movements. Another prime question of my research is how millenarian thinking sanctions and facilitates the versatile mundane (i.e., social, political, and economic) engagement of these groups. Supervision is offered on the above but also the wider field of millenarian studies, including historical and anthropological research beyond the context of new religious movements, and the nexus between catastrophic millenarianism and violence.


Myth, Heroes, and Religion
Nickolas Roubekas

Myth is a contested term, already from its ancient conception and utilisation. However, the term is very much alive nowadays in almost every cultural setting, primarily as a 'false,' 'erroneous,' or 'pseudo-historical' account of anything. Moreover, ancient and modern ideas of 'heroes' (from Achilles to Superman) utilise the notion of myth to justify—or, better, persuade—their audience about the 'truth' of the accompanying narratives. More often than not, such stories have a religious aspect that cannot go unnoticed. Supervision is offered in any of the aforementioned areas, including to suggested topics that fall within the broader rubric of 'myth' and 'heroes'—without excluding suggestions on topics that touch upon the issue of 'what is a myth?' and theories of myth explanation.


New Religious Movements
Lukas K. Pokorny

A large part of my work concerns the study of new religious movements with an emphasis on two areas, namely (1) millenarianism and ethnocentrism and (2) glocalised articulations in the West (especially in Europe and Austria). New religious movements are understood here as religious institutions that have developed in the past two centuries or so. I am happy to offer research supervision on all aspects of new religiosity from all perspectives using different methodologies. In this respect, the Religious Studies department hosts a growing library collection of primary materials connected to a number of new religious movements, with the aim to especially support research students in this area.


Religion and Politics: Deification
Nickolas Roubekas

The connection of religion and politics is uncontested nowadays in the study of both ancient and modern cultures. The underlying concept that strongly links the two concepts is no other than 'power' (e.g., the work of Foucault). Explicit examples of demonstrating how religion, politics, and power are interconnected can be found in numerous cases of human deification—primarily of potentates, state leaders, and kings. Students and researchers interested in discussing how deification functions within either ancient or modern milieus (even more so in a comparative mode), such as ancient Egypt, Hellenistic kingdoms, Roman Empire, Mesoamerican civilisations, including of course cases such as the medieval French kings, Japanese Emperors, and others. Of particular interest are topics that employ a historical-comparative method that seeks to demonstrate the ways deification operates and whether it is successful or not.


Religion and Right-wing Ideologies
Dirk Schuster

Especially since the nineteenth century and the emergence of right-wing, nationalist and racist ideologies, questions have been raised about the role of religion in this context. Religion as a source of meaning, as an element of exclusion towards “others” for such ideas, or the positioning of religions towards such ideologies are just a small selection of topics that can be explored in a master thesis under my supervision. Methodologically, I can offer my supervision for both comparative-systematic and empirically designed studies covering the period from the early nineteenth century to the present. If you are interested, I would of course be happy to work with you to develop a suitable research question.


Religion and Spirituality in the Context of Psychology, Psychoanalysis, and Psychotherapy
Human-Friedrich Unterrainer

Since the beginning of scientific psychology and psychotherapy at the end of the nineteenth century, research on the psychology of religion has been established. Although there was sometimes massive criticism (e.g., from Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis) especially at the beginning, more recent psychoanalytic approaches (beginning with C. G. Jung or Alfred Adler), however, contributed to a more reflective discussion. Attachment theory (founded by John Bowlby) represents, in addition to classical-psychoanalytic and learning-theoretical models, another important approach to dealing with religion and spirituality (R/S). Furthermore, humanistic psychotherapies (e.g., Logotherapy by Viktor Frankl) tried to at least partially integrate R/S into their concept of being human. In addition to dealing with classical and newer psychological and psychotherapeutic approaches to R/S, current social and health policy issues can be addressed on a theoretical and/or empirical level: What role can or may R/S play in modern psychotherapy? What are the possibilities and boundaries of the integration of R/S in the bio-psycho-social model of health and illness?


Religion in Austria
Lukas K. Pokorny

Much of my more recent research is committed to map the largely uncharted domain of religious pluralism in Austria past and present. I am passionate about a wide range of subjects connected to this topic but have assigned special attention over the years to Asian diasporic and new religions. My research usually combines examining the movements (micro-)historically and social-scientifically, utilising a broad methodological arsenal ranging from archival to varied qualitative research. Together with Hans Gerald Hödl, I established the book series Religion in Austria (RiA) in 2012 as a venue to disseminate pioneering related scholarship both domestically and to an international readership. I would be delighted to take over supervision of research projects dealing historically and/or social-scientifically with any aspects within the wider field of religion in Austria past and present. Suitable research may also involve comparative, transregional, or Austrian diasporic studies. The most distinguished graduates in this area will be solicited to submit their research results to RiA.


Religion in International Relations
Karsten Lehmann
Vienna has been home to one of the four United Nations headquarters since the 1970s, and has also been the seat of the OSCE since 1995. From the outset, the United Nations has addressed the issue of religion, initially in the context of religious freedom and later in relation to interfaith dialogue and religious harmony. Furthermore, well over 100 religiously affiliated organisations are officially accredited to the United Nations as non-governmental organisations (NGOs). I supervise selected master's theses in this field of research.


Religions during the Interwar Period
Karsten Lehmann
The 1920s and 1930s were a period of fundamental socio-cultural change, affecting, inter alia, politics, economics, and the arts. This also applies to the field of religion, even if there are still many gaps in the research. To address these, research in archives and studies on the material history of religion are particularly fruitful. I supervise selected master's theses that can be situated within this specific socio-cultural context.


Religious Diversity in Education and Schools
Karsten Lehmann
For almost twenty years, the study of religions has increasingly focused on topics related to education and schools. Key authors in this field include Petra Bleisch-Bouzar, Ansgar Jödicke, and Wanda Alberts. Nevertheless, there is still a lack of empirical research addressing religious diversity in schools, particularly with regard to interreligious teaching and learning formats, religious education, and school case studies in urban and/or rural areas. I supervise selected works that address these issues.


Religious/Spiritual Well-Being, Personality, and Mental Health
Human-Friedrich Unterrainer

The Multidimensional Inventory of Religious/Spiritual Well-Being (MI-RWSB) was developed within the framework of empirical psychology of religion in interdisciplinary cooperation (clinical psychology, religious studies, and pastoral theology) and has since been included in numerous studies on the connection between Religious/Spiritual Well-Being (RSWB) and mental health in different (clinical/non-clinical) samples. Norm values have been presented for the general Austrian population, and the questionnaire has already been translated into various languages. The measure is in constant development. This gives rise to numerous further questions, such as the creation of new language versions (translations) of the scale, the use of the RSWB-dimensions in the context of various psychometric and biometric parameters, or the change in the RWSB-dimensions due to different psychotherapy/body therapy interventions (e.g., Mindfulness training or Yoga). In order to work on such a topic as part of an empirical-quantitative approach in psychology of religion, a solid basic knowledge of statistics (e.g., Bachelor in psychology) is required. A theoretical study regarding the RSB concept or a more in-depth empirical-qualitative approach would also be possible.


Sociological Analysis of Religious Diversity in Europe 
Karsten Lehmann
The notions of Zeit- and Gegenwartsdiagnostik originate from current sociological debates, which critically engage with the works of Ulrich Beck, Ute Volkmann, Zygmunt Bauman, and Andreas Reckwitz. Put simply, it involves a case-based analysis of contemporary culture. Oliver Dimbath and Hartmut Rosa have also presented a growing number of religion-related studies in this tradition in recent years. I supervise selected master's theses closely related to this approach.


Sociological Questions of Religion
Astrid Mattes

I supervise theses that deal with sociological issues of religion and the relationship between religion and society. This includes both literature reviews, for example, dealing with the classics of sociology of religion, and more empirically oriented topics. Some of the topics that I am currently working on in this area include the development of Islamic communities in Austria, trends in the religiosity of young people, changes in religious beliefs in times of secularization, etc.


The Notion of 'God' & Atheism: Ancient/Modern
Nickolas Roubekas

Although a topic that can be easily incorporated to the overall research theme of 'Ancient Religions,' supervision is also offered in more targeted topics on what constitutes a God in both polytheistic and monotheistic cultural settings. Of particular interest, however, are suggestions that take on a comparative approach that seeks to demonstrate both similarities and differences of ancient (e.g., Greek and Egyptian ideas), modern (e.g., Christian and Jewish understanding), or ancient/modern conceptualisations (e.g., Roman and Muslim ideas) of what is—and what is not—a god. Additionally, and in relation to the theistic understanding of 'god(s),' I am interested in topics that are connected with the atheistic stance taken by thinkers (or groups) in both antiquity and modernity. Such views can be combined with the initial topic of 'godhead' and demonstrate how atheism responded/responds to such claims.


Theories of Religion: Ancient, Classic, and Modern
Nickolas Roubekas

Theories of religion are generalisations about the category 'religion.' A theorist of religion claims that s/he can account for the origins, function(s), and specificity of religion wherever and whenever is encountered. At the heart of those theories lies a need for which religion arises and persists—a need that can be of any kind: for material things like shelter and food, to explain the workings of the universe, to account for dreams, to come into contact with our unconscious, for social cohesion, etc. This is a scientific endeavor that can be traced already in antiquity (e.g., Presocratic philosophers), mainly developed in the seventeenth to twentieth century (e.g., Hume, Durkheim, Freud, Tylor), and is still very much active, primarily via the new subfield of the Cognitive Study of Religion (CSR) (e.g., Guthrie, Boyer). Supervision is offered in any of the traditional theories of religion, although of particular interest are scholars who have promoted theories of religion that stem from fields outside Religious Studies, like literature, fiction, economics, political science, psychology, etc.


Topics at the Interface of Religion and Politics
Astrid Mattes

I am happy to supervise theses that deal with questions of religion and politics. These include political efforts within religions, the political regulation of religions and the governance of religious diversity, state-religion relations (present and historical), religion in political discourse, religion in public institutions, the positioning of political parties on religion, and the role of religion in individual policy areas (e.g. moral policy, migration policy).