Religion: Memory and Innovation

Authors

• Tuija Hovi University of Turku
• Mika Vähäkangas Åbo Akademi University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7854-1128
• Ruth Illman The Donner Institute https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5258-7040

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30664/ar.143037

Keywords:

religion and memory, religion and innovation, Polin Institute, Centre for the Study of Christian Cultures

Abstract

The current issue of Approaching Religion is based on a summer school and conference arranged in Åbo/Turku, Finland, in June 2023, on the theme of “Religion: Memory and Innovation”. The event was organized jointly by the Polin Institute for Theological Research (Åbo Akademi University), the Centre for the Study of Christian Cultures (University of Turku) and the Donner Institute for Research in Religion and Culture. The aim was to bring together doctoral candidates and researchers from various academic fields that engage with the study of religion, such as theology, religious studies, history, philosophy, the arts, social and political sciences, and so forth. At this seminar, papers were presented that engaged with the theme of religion, memory and innovation from both historical and contemporary perspectives, looking also to the future where possible. In the current issue, therefore, we understand memory and innovation both as dramatic breaking points in history and as slowly evolving transformations, and we address past, present and emerging trends and trajectories within culture, society and the scholarly community. The societal relevance and impact of research in this field have also arisen as central themes in the presentations.