Institute

Mission statement

The mission and goal of the Institute is to conduct innovative research on the issue of ‘religion and society’ in the broadest sense. To pursue its mission, the Institute fosters cooperation between scholars of religious studies and social sciences in Hungary and abroad, organizes conferences and workshops, supports the publication of original work in the field, and promotes contributions to public discourse.

The theoretical basis of the research is the problematic nature of separating the secular and the religious in modern scholarship. Special attention is given to the Western origins of the separation of church and state, the Christian foundations of the state, the theories of secularization, and the many competing models of church/state relationships in contemporary societies. In a global setting, the research also covers the different theoretical and practical models of some of the world’s great cultural traditions, including the topics of religious freedom, religious discrimination, and the situation of religious minorities around the world.     

Methodologically, the Institute’s research activities apply an interdisciplinary approach, from classical theological and philosophical analysis to conceptual history, political and social theory, and empirical research methods. In the long run, the aim is to establish a distinct academic profile that builds on the most recent critical developments in the field and can be successfully integrated into the rapidly growing international network of religious and social sciences.