Current Issues of Theology and Religious Studies

Council of the Doctoral School

1. Riho Altnurme, Dr.theol. (Tartu University) – Chairperson;
2. Valdis Tēraudkalns, Ph.D. (Faculty of Theology) – Vice Chair;
3. Dace Balode, Ph.D. (Faculty of Theology) – Secretary;
4. Gvido Straube, Dr.hist. (Faculty of History and Philosophy);
5. Laima Geikina, Dr.ped. (Faculty of Theology);
6. Normunds Titāns, Ph.D. (Faculty of Theology);
7. Dzintra Iliško, Ph.D. (Daugavpils University);
8. Martyn Percy, Ph.D. (Ripon College Cuddesdon, Oxford, United Kingdom);
9. Deniss Hanovs, Dr.art. (Rīga Stradiņš University).

Aims of the Doctoral School

Doctoral school “Current Issues of Theology and Religious Studies” is aimed at providing its participants with new opportunities for scientific cooperation and with increasing scientific and pedagogical qualification of academic staff involved in it by creating new interdisciplinary network of scientific cooperation in researching religious phenomena. Goal of the school is to widen and to deepen research on various actual themes in theology and religious studies by involving representatives not only of University of Latvia but also from other universities in Latvia and outside it. At the beginning there will be close cooperation with scholars from Tartu and Oxford but then network will be expanded to include also scholars from Scandinavia and Germany. Thus we will ensure that participants of the doctoral school can use scientific potential of other educational institutions. In order to ensure that standards of practical applicability and high theoretical level of research, as well as multiplicative effect of applying ideas learned in contact with other scientists have been maintained the school will organize regular thematic seminars and will assist in preparing publications of its participants.

Research dimensions:

• History of religions in Baltic states in the context of interaction between Eastern and Western cultural spaces;
• Church history in sources of the history of Latvia;
• Changing character of religious identities: regional, national and global aspects;
• Pedagogy of religion in European context;
• Religion in dialogue with contemporary culture;
• Religion and modernity: ecumenism, inter-religious dialogue, fundamentalism;
• Religion and secularisation: political religions, changes in state-church relationships, transformation processes in religious groups;
• New methods in studying sacred texts;
• Dynamics of new religious movements

Contact Person of the Council
Professor Dr. Valdis Tēraudkalns
valdis.teraudkalns@lu.lv