The Donner Institute

The Donner Institute for Research into Religion and Culture is a private research institute connected to the Åbo Akademi University Foundation. We gather researchers, students and cultural agents and provide a meeting point for research on religion and culture in Finland and in the Nordic countries. We work to strengthen the visibility of research and create spaces where new knowledge can be born.

DI closed Tuesday 21.1

DI will be closed Tuesday, January 21. Books to the library can be returned to any Åbo Akademi University library.

The Donner Institute’s anthroposophical collection gains more visibility

The Donner Institute has a unique collection focused on Rudolf Steiner’s philosophy and anthroposophy, built upon the vision of the...

DI’s scholarship application opens 10.1.2024

The Donner Institute announces scholarships for doctoral students to be applied for the year 2025. Also grants to cover research...

Research & publications

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Approaching Religion 14/3 on Paul Ricoeur, peace and understanding

Persistent and new conflicts around the world have made the search for successful conflict resolutions necessary. The new issue of Approaching Religion presents articles based on presentations at the workshop "Peace and Understanding: A Ricoeurian View" held in Turku in September 2023. The workshop focused on the French philosopher Paul Ricoeur's contributions to issues of war, power, violence, social justice, interreligious understanding, and peace and reconciliation. The issue contains an editorial and eight research articles. The articles deal with, among other things, religious dialogue, the ontology and narrative possibility of peace, the human condition, violence and goodness, all in close...

The Donner Institute Research Prize to Cristoffer Tidelius

The Donner Institute for Research into Religion and Culture in Turku has decided to award Dr. Theol. Cristoffer Tidelius the...

Approaching Religion 14/2 on Religion and Spirituality as Sites of Learning

The new issue of Approaching Religion presents articles springing from the conference “Religion and Spirituality as Sites of Learning”, which...

The new issue of Approaching Religion deals with religion, memory and innovation

The new issue of Approaching Religion is based on a summer school and conference arranged in Åbo/Turku, Finland, in June...

Events

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mån
09.06.

Religion: Concealed and Revealed

The summer school and conference June 9-12, 2025 The aim is to bring together doctoral candidates and researchers from various academic fields that engage with the study of religion, such as theology, study of religions, history, philosophy, the arts, social and political sciences and other.

Book of the month

Uskonto mielessä: Psykologisia näkökulmia uskonnollisuuteen ja henkisyyteen edited by Teemu Pauha and Roosa Haimila, Gaudeamus, 2024 The psychology of religion is often considered one of...

Did you know that we have the Nordic region's largest special library on religion?

Open to everyone. Weekdays 12-16.

Our donors Olly and Uno Donner were forerunners of their time.

The endowment made by Olly and Uno Donner in 1956 was one of the largest donations received by Åbo Akademi University to date. In addition to supporting research on religion and culture, the couple shared an interest in languages and anthroposophy.