Research on Religion and Culture
Research overview
The cluster aims at prosecuting the research on interaction between religion and culture as universal human phenomena and between particular religions and cultures. Conceptual theoretical research and empirical inquiry are pursued appealing to the methodologies and paradigms of philosophy, theology, sociology, anthropology and ethnology as well as are founded on the comparative interdisciplinary perspective.
Main research areas cover these phenomena and processes:
- the notion of religion and its historical transformations;
- the interconnection between personal belief experience and religious tradition;
- formation and transformation of religious rituals;
- religious orthodoxy and heterodoxy;
- inculturation of Christianity;
- ecumenical and interreligious dialogue;
- non-Christian religions, religious syncretism and transformation.
The dispersion of research results improves the knowledge of the phenomenon of contemporary religiosity, Christianity and other religions in Lithuania and the world. The scientific explorations of religion and culture are helpful while encountering various problems of religious identity, value re-orientation, lack of tolerance in the society, etc. Therefore, cluster’s members are engaged in the various activities of science popularization, public education and media projects.
Main researchers
- Leader of the group Prof. Eugenijus Danilevičius (VMU Faculty of Catholic Theology)
- Assoc. Prof. Živilė Advilonienė (VMU Faculty of Catholic Theology)
- Assoc. Prof. Benas Ulevičius (VMU Faculty of Catholic Theology)
- Assoc. Prof. Artūras Lukaševičius (VMU Faculty of Catholic Theology)
- Prof. Egdūnas Račius (VDU Faculty of Politics and Diplomacy)
- Assoc. Prof. Lina Šulcienė (VMU Faculty of Catholic Theology)
- Dr. Aušra Kairaitytė-Užupė (VMU Faculty of Humanities)
- Tadas Čapanauskas (VMU Faculty of Humanities)
- Saulius Matulevičius (VMU Faculty of Social sciences)
- Dr. Skaistė Barkutė (VMU Faculty of Catholic Theology)
PhD candidates
- Mykolas Deikus (VMU Faculty of Catholic Theology)