Approaching Religion 16/1 – Social Identity Across Time: Interdisciplinary Applications

The new issue of Approaching Religion explores social identities. Religious identities are interwoven in complex ways with ethnic, cultural and other identities. Historical understanding of these identities contributes to the understanding of identity processes and language used in contemporary communities. The issue aims to enhance the dialogue between disciplines and expand our common ground in studying past and present identities and their significance.

The issue is based on a workshop organized in 2023 by the project FIDSIT (Finnish Interdisciplinary Study of Social Identity Transmission) and funded by Finnish Cultural Foundation. The workshop was an interdisciplinary endeavour, seeking to bring historical knowledge of past religious identity-formation to bear on the understanding of the present, and to develop a common vocabulary and methodology for doing comparative work.

Contributing authors are Teemu Pauha (University of Helsinki), Anoo Niskanen (Åbo Akademi University), Ilkka Lindstedt (University of Helsinki), Karmela Liebkind (University of Helsinki), Zdeňka Špiclová (University of West Bohemia), Nina Nikki (Umeå University), Vojtěch Kaše (University of West Bohemia), Jan Tvrz (University of West Bohemia) and Sini Mikkola (University of Eastern Finland). The thematic issue has been compiled and edited by the guest editors Jutta Jokiranta (University of Helsinki), Nina Nikki (Umeå University) and Teemu Pauha (University of Helsinki).