{"id":1098,"date":"2025-11-06T13:24:24","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T11:24:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.abo.fi\/ncsr2026\/?page_id=1098"},"modified":"2026-08-13T09:30:50","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T06:30:50","slug":"sessions","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.abo.fi\/ncsr2026\/sessions\/","title":{"rendered":"Sessions"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-post-featured-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.abo.fi\/ncsr2026\/sessions\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"https:\/\/sites.abo.fi\/ncsr2026\/\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1875\" height=\"625\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.abo.fi\/ncsr2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/25\/2025\/12\/NCSR2026-Email-Header.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Sessions\" style=\"object-fit:cover;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.abo.fi\/ncsr2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/25\/2025\/12\/NCSR2026-Email-Header.jpeg 1875w, https:\/\/sites.abo.fi\/ncsr2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/25\/2025\/12\/NCSR2026-Email-Header-300x100.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/sites.abo.fi\/ncsr2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/25\/2025\/12\/NCSR2026-Email-Header-1024x341.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/sites.abo.fi\/ncsr2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/25\/2025\/12\/NCSR2026-Email-Header-768x256.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/sites.abo.fi\/ncsr2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/25\/2025\/12\/NCSR2026-Email-Header-1536x512.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1875px) 100vw, 1875px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">NCSR 2026 Sessions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Open Sessions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This page provides an overview of the conference sessions and presentations. For the full presentation abstracts, please see the <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.abo.fi\/ncsr2026\/abstract-book\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/sites.abo.fi\/ncsr2026\/abstract-book\/\">NCSR 2026 Abstract Book<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n<style>.kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71 .kt-accordion-inner-wrap{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-md, 2rem);row-gap:10px;}.kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71 .kt-accordion-panel-inner{border-top:0px solid transparent;border-right:0px solid transparent;border-bottom:0px solid transparent;border-left:0px solid transparent;background:#ffffff;padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);}.kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71 > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap > .kt-blocks-accordion-header{border-top:0px solid #f2f2f2;border-right:0px solid #f2f2f2;border-bottom:0px solid #f2f2f2;border-left:0px solid #f2f2f2;border-top-left-radius:6px;border-top-right-radius:6px;border-bottom-right-radius:6px;border-bottom-left-radius:6px;background:#f2f2f2;color:#555555;padding-top:14px;padding-right:16px;padding-bottom:14px;padding-left:16px;}.kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basiccircle ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclosecircle ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrowcircle )  > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:after, .kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basiccircle ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclosecircle ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrowcircle )  > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:before{background:var(--global-palette9, #ffffff);}.kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basic ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclose ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrow ) .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger{background:var(--global-palette9, #ffffff);}.kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basic ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclose ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrow ) .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:after, .kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basic ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclose ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrow ) .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:before{background:#f2f2f2;}.kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71 > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap > .kt-blocks-accordion-header:hover, \n\t\t\t\tbody:not(.hide-focus-outline) .kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71 .kt-blocks-accordion-header:focus-visible{color:#444444;background:#eeeeee;border-top-color:#eeeeee;border-top-style:solid;border-right-color:#eeeeee;border-right-style:solid;border-bottom-color:#eeeeee;border-bottom-style:solid;border-left-color:#eeeeee;border-left-style:solid;}.kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basiccircle ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclosecircle ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrowcircle ) .kt-accordion-header-wrap .kt-blocks-accordion-header:hover .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:after, .kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basiccircle ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclosecircle ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrowcircle ) .kt-accordion-header-wrap .kt-blocks-accordion-header:hover .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:before, body:not(.hide-focus-outline) .kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basiccircle ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclosecircle ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrowcircle ) .kt-blocks-accordion--visible .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:after, body:not(.hide-focus-outline) .kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basiccircle ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclosecircle ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrowcircle ) .kt-blocks-accordion-header:focus-visible .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:before{background:#444444;}.kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basic ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclose ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrow ) .kt-accordion-header-wrap .kt-blocks-accordion-header:hover .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger, body:not(.hide-focus-outline) .kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basic ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclose ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrow ) .kt-accordion-header-wrap .kt-blocks-accordion-header:focus-visible .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger{background:#444444;}.kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basic ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclose ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrow ) .kt-accordion-header-wrap .kt-blocks-accordion-header:hover .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:after, .kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basic ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclose ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrow ) .kt-accordion-header-wrap .kt-blocks-accordion-header:hover .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:before, body:not(.hide-focus-outline) .kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basic ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclose ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrow ) .kt-accordion-header-wrap .kt-blocks-accordion-header:focus-visible .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:after, body:not(.hide-focus-outline) .kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basic ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclose ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrow ) .kt-accordion-header-wrap .kt-blocks-accordion-header:focus-visible .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:before{background:#eeeeee;}.kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71 .kt-accordion-header-wrap .kt-blocks-accordion-header:focus-visible,\n\t\t\t\t.kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71 > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap > .kt-blocks-accordion-header.kt-accordion-panel-active{color:#ffffff;background:#BE530B;border-top-color:#BE530B;border-top-style:solid;border-right-color:#BE530B;border-right-style:solid;border-bottom-color:#BE530B;border-bottom-style:solid;border-left-color:#BE530B;border-left-style:solid;}.kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basiccircle ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclosecircle ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrowcircle )  > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap > .kt-blocks-accordion-header.kt-accordion-panel-active .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:after, .kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basiccircle ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclosecircle ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrowcircle )  > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap > .kt-blocks-accordion-header.kt-accordion-panel-active .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:before{background:#ffffff;}.kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basic ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclose ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrow ) .kt-blocks-accordion-header.kt-accordion-panel-active .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger{background:#ffffff;}.kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basic ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclose ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrow ) .kt-blocks-accordion-header.kt-accordion-panel-active .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:after, .kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basic ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclose ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrow ) .kt-blocks-accordion-header.kt-accordion-panel-active .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:before{background:#BE530B;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71 .kt-accordion-panel-inner{border-top:0px solid transparent;border-right:0px solid transparent;border-bottom:0px solid transparent;border-left:0px solid transparent;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71 > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap > .kt-blocks-accordion-header{border-top:0px solid #f2f2f2;border-right:0px solid #f2f2f2;border-bottom:0px solid #f2f2f2;border-left:0px solid #f2f2f2;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71 > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap > .kt-blocks-accordion-header:hover, \n\t\t\t\tbody:not(.hide-focus-outline) .kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71 .kt-blocks-accordion-header:focus-visible{border-top-color:#eeeeee;border-top-style:solid;border-right-color:#eeeeee;border-right-style:solid;border-bottom-color:#eeeeee;border-bottom-style:solid;border-left-color:#eeeeee;border-left-style:solid;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71 .kt-accordion-header-wrap .kt-blocks-accordion-header:focus-visible,\n\t\t\t\t.kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71 > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap > .kt-blocks-accordion-header.kt-accordion-panel-active{border-top-color:#BE530B;border-top-style:solid;border-right-color:#BE530B;border-right-style:solid;border-bottom-color:#BE530B;border-bottom-style:solid;border-left-color:#BE530B;border-left-style:solid;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71 .kt-accordion-inner-wrap{display:block;}.kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71 .kt-accordion-inner-wrap .kt-accordion-pane:not(:first-child){margin-top:10px;}.kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71 .kt-accordion-panel-inner{border-top:0px solid transparent;border-right:0px solid transparent;border-bottom:0px solid transparent;border-left:0px solid transparent;}.kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71 > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap > .kt-blocks-accordion-header{border-top:0px solid #f2f2f2;border-right:0px solid #f2f2f2;border-bottom:0px solid #f2f2f2;border-left:0px solid #f2f2f2;}.kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71 > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap > .kt-blocks-accordion-header:hover, \n\t\t\t\tbody:not(.hide-focus-outline) .kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71 .kt-blocks-accordion-header:focus-visible{border-top-color:#eeeeee;border-top-style:solid;border-right-color:#eeeeee;border-right-style:solid;border-bottom-color:#eeeeee;border-bottom-style:solid;border-left-color:#eeeeee;border-left-style:solid;}.kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71 .kt-accordion-header-wrap .kt-blocks-accordion-header:focus-visible,\n\t\t\t\t.kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71 > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap > .kt-blocks-accordion-header.kt-accordion-panel-active{border-top-color:#BE530B;border-top-style:solid;border-right-color:#BE530B;border-right-style:solid;border-bottom-color:#BE530B;border-bottom-style:solid;border-left-color:#BE530B;border-left-style:solid;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-accordion alignnone\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-wrap kt-accordion-id1098_5f66da-71 kt-accordion-has-24-panes kt-active-pane-0 kt-accordion-block kt-pane-header-alignment-left kt-accodion-icon-style-basic kt-accodion-icon-side-right\" style=\"max-width:none\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-inner-wrap\" data-allow-multiple-open=\"false\" data-start-open=\"none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-pane kt-accordion-pane kt-accordion-pane-1 kt-pane1098_be7d0f-dd\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-header-wrap\"><button class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-header kt-acccordion-button-label-show\" type=\"button\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title-wrap\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title\">1. Nordic Nonreligion<\/span><\/span><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger\"><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel kt-accordion-panel-hidden\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel-inner\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The number of people who identify as having no religious affiliation is increasing across the Nordic Countries. Although the sociological study of nonreligion is growing, we need to know more about the \u201cnones.\u201d Some identity as atheist, while others see themselves as agnostic, indifferent, spiritual but not religious or something in between. While the trend is that the nones are growing in the Nordic countries, they&nbsp;still constitute&nbsp;a minority in most of these countries. How does this heterogeneous group affect society and how do the different societies accommodate them? Which implications does the growth of the \u201cnones\u201d have for law, health, education, migration, nature, and other aspects of society? These questions are relevant for most countries, but this session focuses, in particular, on&nbsp;how nonreligion affects and is affected by the Nordic context. We welcome papers that discuss a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches, as well as research designs, and papers based on empirical research. The aim is to contribute to new research on this growing phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Session Format: <em>Standard paper presentation<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Organiser(s)\/Chair(s):<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Peter Nyn\u00e4s<br><a href=\"mailto:peter.nynas@abo.fi\">peter.nynas@abo.fi<\/a><br>\u00c5bo Akademi University<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Friday 14 August (09:00\u201310:30) at Valhall (D206)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Slugs and strangers: Nonreligion and the ethics of exclusion<br><\/strong>Anna Sofia Salonen&nbsp;(University of Eastern Finland)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Implicit Non-Religion and Protestant Secularism in Swedish Religious Education: A Critical Examination<br><\/strong>Anders&nbsp;Sj\u00f6borg&nbsp;(Uppsala University)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-pane kt-accordion-pane kt-accordion-pane-3 kt-pane1098_0f4c1e-1b\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-header-wrap\"><button class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-header kt-acccordion-button-label-show\" type=\"button\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title-wrap\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title\">2. Expertise&nbsp;on Religion not Expert Religion: Navigating Knowledge Production Between Participation and Governance in Religiously Diverse Societies<\/span><\/span><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger\"><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel kt-accordion-panel-hidden\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel-inner\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Research on contemporary religious landscapes&nbsp;seeks&nbsp;to understand religious diversity not only as the presence of multiple traditions but also through the positionalities produced by intersecting mechanisms of identification,&nbsp;inclusion&nbsp;and exclusion. This implies a particular interest in the experiences of invisible and socially or discursively marginalised or stigmatised groups, like migrant communities or new religious movements. At the same&nbsp;time&nbsp;it is often these kinds of groups that become the object of politicised calls for knowledge production and demands for actionable knowledge from state institutions, media, and civil society. This can produce a tension within academic work: the very act of studying marginalised communities may inadvertently feed into governmental or policy-oriented frameworks that rely on simplified or securitised understandings of religion.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Elizabeth Shakman Hurd\u2019s distinction between \u201clived religion,\u201d \u201cgoverned religion,\u201d and \u201cexpert religion\u201d offers a productive framework for analysing this dynamic. Expert religion refers to the forms of religion constructed by those who generate policy-relevant knowledge\u2014scholars, consultants, state agencies, or bureaucratic bodies. In contrast, we suggest adding a fourth category to this framework: \u201cexpertise on religion\u201d denoting a scholarly mode of inquiry guided not by policy imperatives but by scholarly questions and disciplinary principles like methodological rigor, theoretical openness, and a commitment to understanding religious life on its own terms.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For scholars of religion, navigating between these frameworks can be challenging. Research that&nbsp;seeks&nbsp;to increase visibility for underrepresented groups can be double-edged, simultaneously enabling recognition and risking exposure, misinterpretation, or political&nbsp;instrumentalisation. Contemporary methodological tools like mapping of institutions, cities, or countries can intensify these dynamics by transforming complex lived realities into governable categories. Yet failure to engage with policy requests for knowledge may undermine ambitions of contemporary academia of providing societal relevance.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This open paper session invites contributions that critically examine the study of contemporary religious diversity. We particularly welcome papers that address:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>methodological dilemmas in researching vulnerable or marginalised religious actors,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>challenges in the interface between expert religion and&nbsp;expertise&nbsp;on religion,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>reflexive strategies for mitigating the risks of contributing to external agendas,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>case studies highlighting how participation or research dissemination shapes public, political, or media&nbsp;perceptions,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>critical engagements with the epistemic and ethical consequences of producing \u201cknowledge about religion\u201d in contexts of surveillance, governance, or cultural anxiety,&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By bringing these discussions together, the session aims to clarify how scholars can responsibly navigate competing demands while sustaining rigorous, context-sensitive&nbsp;expertise&nbsp;on religion.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Session Format: <em>Standard paper presentation<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Organiser(s)\/Chair(s):<\/h5>\n\n\n<style>.kb-table-container1098_a18739-24{overflow-x:auto;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_a18739-24 th{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);text-align:center;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_a18739-24 caption{text-align:center;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_a18739-24 td{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);text-align:left;}<\/style><div class=\"kb-table-container kb-table-container1098_a18739-24 wp-block-kadence-table\"><table class=\"kb-table kb-table1098_a18739-24\">\n<tr class=\"kb-table-row kb-table-row1098_97ca19-f8\">\n<td  class=\"kb-table-data kb-table-data1098_f567c6-7b\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lene&nbsp;K\u00fchle&nbsp;<br><a href=\"mailto:LK@cas.au.dk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">LK@cas.au.dk<\/a>&nbsp;<br>School of Culture and Society, Aarhus University&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<\/td>\n\n<td  class=\"kb-table-data kb-table-data1098_a8e00b-3e\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anne Beutter<br><a href=\"mailto:beutter@uni-bremen.de\" data-type=\"mailto\" data-id=\"mailto:beutter@uni-bremen.de\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">beutter@uni-bremen.de<\/a><br>Universitaet Bremen<\/p>\n\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table><\/div>\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><br>Thursday 13 August | 15:30\u201317:00 at K\u00e4llan&nbsp;(C201)&nbsp;<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Expert Religion and the Governance of Religious Diversity in Immigration Cases<br><\/strong>Marianne Hafnor B\u00f8e |&nbsp;University of Stavanger&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Personal worldview and ways of doing sociology of religion<br><\/strong>P\u00e5l Repstad&nbsp;(University of Agder)<br>Sivert Sk\u00e5lvoll Urstad&nbsp;(University of Agder)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Historical and ethical knowledge production about Finnish Rainbow Priests&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><\/strong>Elina M\u00e4kinen&nbsp;(University of Turku)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Expertise&nbsp;on religion, not expert religion: societal positionings of the study of religions in two long-term mapping projects<br><\/strong>Anne&nbsp;Beutter&nbsp;(University of Bremen)<br>Lene&nbsp;K\u00fchle&nbsp;(Aarhus University)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-pane kt-accordion-pane kt-accordion-pane-4 kt-pane1098_0af78e-2c\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-header-wrap\"><button class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-header kt-acccordion-button-label-show\" type=\"button\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title-wrap\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title\">3. Constructions of Religion, Cultural Heritage, and National Identity<\/span><\/span><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger\"><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel kt-accordion-panel-hidden\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel-inner\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This session explores the increasingly complex entanglements between religion, cultural heritage, and national identity in the Nordic countries and across Europe. In many European contexts, the nexus between majority religion, national identity, and notions of cultural heritage has become a site of political contestation. Such linkages carry both mobilizing potential and a strong capacity for polarization. Political actors&nbsp;frequently&nbsp;seek&nbsp;to anchor national identity in particular religious and heritage narratives, while others challenge these constructions and highlight the exclusionary dynamics they may reinforce.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The session, therefore, invites papers that examine how relationships between religion and cultural heritage are constructed\u2014or dismantled\u2014within religious, political, academic, or popular cultural discourses. Key questions include: What functions do these nexuses serve? How are \u201creligion\u201d and \u201cnational identity\u201d conceptualized in different contexts? Who is included or excluded through such narratives? How do marginalized groups experience, challenge, or resist dominant narratives? The session also welcomes analyses of how Nordic majority churches, minority religious communities, or life-stance organizations respond to or&nbsp;participate&nbsp;in shaping these debates. Papers that offer reflections on methodological and theoretical questions are likewise encouraged: What datasets, methodologies, and perspectives are best suited for&nbsp;analyzing&nbsp;politicized discourses on cultural heritage and religion?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By bringing together diverse empirical cases and analytical approaches, this session aims to advance more nuanced understandings of how religion, cultural heritage, and national identity are negotiated in contemporary Nordic and European contexts.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Session Format: <em>Standard paper presentation<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Organiser(s)\/Chair(s):<\/h5>\n\n\n<style>.kb-table-container1098_f2a468-2b{overflow-x:auto;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_f2a468-2b th{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);text-align:center;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_f2a468-2b caption{text-align:center;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_f2a468-2b td{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);text-align:left;}<\/style><div class=\"kb-table-container kb-table-container1098_f2a468-2b wp-block-kadence-table\"><table class=\"kb-table kb-table1098_f2a468-2b\">\n<tr class=\"kb-table-row kb-table-row1098_0723c9-57\">\n<td  class=\"kb-table-data kb-table-data1098_89f5fc-6f\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Linnea Jensdotter<br><a href=\"mailto:l.nyhagen@lboro.ac.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">linnea.jensdotter@ctr.lu.se<\/a><br>Lund University<\/p>\n\n<\/td>\n\n<td  class=\"kb-table-data kb-table-data1098_8acd50-1e\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sven Thore Kloster<br><a href=\"mailto:sven.thore.kloster@kifo.no\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sven.thore.kloster@kifo.no<\/a><br>KIFO Institute&nbsp;For&nbsp;Church, Religion &amp; Worldview Research<\/p>\n\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table><\/div>\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session 3a: Wednesday 12 August | 15:00\u201316:30&nbsp;at K\u00e4llan&nbsp;(C201)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Cultural Heritage as Discursive Resource: Contextual and Contradictory Constructions of Religion and Identity in the European Parliament (2019\u20132024)<\/strong><br>Tomas Stenb\u00e4ck&nbsp;(\u00c5bo&nbsp;Akademi)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Transformation of \u201cChristian Values\u201d in Swedish Christian Democratic Discourse<\/strong><br>Linnea&nbsp;Jensdotter&nbsp;(Lund Universitet)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Inclusive or Exclusionary? Mapping the Nexus of Religion and Cultural Heritage in Norway\u2019s Party Politics<br><\/strong>Sven Thore Kloster (KIFO)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session 3b: Thursday 13 August | 09:00\u201310:30&nbsp;at K\u00e4llan&nbsp;(C201)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>From Myth to Museum: Encounters with Pre-Christian Nordic Religion in Scandinavian Museums<\/strong><br>Amalie Holmquist Knudsen (Aarhus University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Negotiating Religion and Culture: Minority Culturalization and Municipal Regulation of Religion in Fredericia<\/strong><br>Benjamin Vestergaard Johansen (Aarhus University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>(Family) histories, national narratives and (archival) discoveries of Orthodox Karelian heritage \u2013 some reflections<\/strong><br>Sofia&nbsp;Silfvast&nbsp;(University of Eastern Finland)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Norwegian Church as \u201cImplicated Subject\u201d: Church, Nation, and Holocaust Memory in Norway<\/strong><br>Anders Martinsen (Oslo Metropolitan University)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session 3c: Thursday 13 August | 13:30\u201315:00 at K\u00e4llan&nbsp;(C201)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Religious and Lutheran \u201cHygge\u201d as Cultural Heritage in Norway<\/strong><br>Ole Jakob L\u00f8land (University of South-East Norway)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Contested Classifications: Public Negotiations of \u201cReligion\u201d in School Events<\/strong><br>Teemu Taira (University of Helsinki)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Christian Nationalism, Political Rhetoric, and National Anniversaries<\/strong><br>\u00c5nund&nbsp;Brottveit&nbsp;(KIFO)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-pane kt-accordion-pane kt-accordion-pane-5 kt-pane1098_e56436-b7\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-header-wrap\"><button class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-header kt-acccordion-button-label-show\" type=\"button\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title-wrap\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title\">4. Art-Related Methodologies in the Study of Religion: Intersections and Collaborations<\/span><\/span><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger\"><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel kt-accordion-panel-hidden\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel-inner\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Research \u2013 including the study of religion \u2013 can engage with art in&nbsp;various ways: not only as an object of study, but also as a methodological tool and a collaborative partner. Artistic practices, artworks, and audiences can shape research by serving as a subject of analysis, a medium for collecting and presenting data, a discursive field that intersects with religion (or secularity), or by fulfilling other roles. Artists themselves can also assume diverse roles within research projects, from co-creators to critical interlocutors. Such collaborations offer rich opportunities for innovation but also pose challenges, including negotiating disciplinary boundaries and balancing analytical rigor with creative expression.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This session invites scholars of religion to reflect on the possibilities and limits of integrating art-related methodologies into the sociology of religion. How can artistic forms, such as visual arts, music, literature, theatre, dance, or performance, inform the study of religion? What benefits and tensions arise when research incorporates activist art, outsider art, public installations, or private aesthetic practices, particularly in highlighting religion as a social issue or engaging with societal inequalities and power dynamics? How do these collaborations reshape our analytical frameworks and ethical considerations? We welcome papers that address the diverse ways of engaging with art from different perspectives, including case studies, innovative or experimental research designs, as well as more theoretical contributions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Session Format: <em>Standard paper presentation<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-table-container1098_8ddda6-04{overflow-x:auto;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_8ddda6-04 th{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);text-align:center;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_8ddda6-04 caption{text-align:center;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_8ddda6-04 td{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);text-align:left;}<\/style><div class=\"kb-table-container kb-table-container1098_8ddda6-04 wp-block-kadence-table\"><table class=\"kb-table kb-table1098_8ddda6-04\">\n<tr class=\"kb-table-row kb-table-row1098_9cea6d-d4\">\n<td  class=\"kb-table-data kb-table-data1098_ecbe91-b7\">\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Organiser(s)\/Chair(s):<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alexandra Bergholm<br><a href=\"mailto:alexandra.bergholm@helsinki.fi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">alexandra.bergholm@helsinki.fi<\/a><br>University of Helsinki&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<\/td>\n\n<td  class=\"kb-table-data kb-table-data1098_d202dd-80\">\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Respondent:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pasqualina Eckerstr\u00f6m<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/researchportal.helsinki.fi\/en\/persons\/paky-eckerstr%C3%B6m\/#\">pasqualina.eckerstrom@helsinki.fi<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">University of Helsinki<\/p>\n\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table><\/div>\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Thursday 13 August | 09:00\u201310:30 at Westermarck (C101)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Working with Loss of Control: Art, Powerlessness, and Methodological Frictions in the Sociology of Religion<\/strong><br>Henrik Reintoft Christensen (Aarhus University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Transmedial Religion in Everyday Life: A Methodological Consideration<\/strong><br>Fredrik Davidsson (\u00c5bo Akademi)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-pane kt-accordion-pane kt-accordion-pane-7 kt-pane1098_5a31bb-2e\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-header-wrap\"><button class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-header kt-acccordion-button-label-show\" type=\"button\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title-wrap\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title\">6. Religion and Gender: Masculine, Feminine, and Non-Binary Perspectives<\/span><\/span><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger\"><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel kt-accordion-panel-hidden\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel-inner\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gender differences in religious belief and practice have been a central focus in the sociology of religion for decades. Research has consistently shown that women, especially in Christian-majority contexts, are more religious than men and more active in congregational life. Yet leadership in most religious organizations continues to be dominated by men.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Recent evidence, however, suggests that this long-standing pattern is shifting. Religiosity among women has been declining rapidly in many countries, while young men are showing renewed interest in religion. In addition, the experiences of non-binary individuals and sexual minorities complicate traditional assumptions. These groups are often more likely to distance themselves from institutional religion, yet their relation to religion is understudied.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite evolving trends, research has rarely examined men\u2019s everyday religious practices outside hierarchical roles, and non-binary individuals&nbsp;remain&nbsp;largely invisible&nbsp;in scholarship. Earlier focus on women was essential in counterbalancing male-centered&nbsp;studies, but it has also contributed to persistent gaps in our understanding of how religion is lived across diverse gender identities.&nbsp;<br>This session explores how religion is experienced, practiced, and negotiated by men, women, and non-binary individuals today. We approach gender as fluid and context-dependent, moving beyond binary frameworks and examining how gender and sexuality intersect with religious involvement, belief, and belonging. Our aim is to foster dialogue on the changing gender dynamics of religiosity and to highlight perspectives that challenge established narratives.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We welcome theoretical and empirical contributions addressing topics such as:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The religiosity of men, women, and non-binary individuals in&nbsp;different cultural&nbsp;and religious contexts,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Shifts in gendered patterns of religiosity, particularly among younger generations,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Role of gender in religion at different life stages,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The role of gender in religious disaffiliation and secularization,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Everyday religious practices and experiences of men, especially outside of leadership and hierarchical contexts,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Feminist, queer, and intersectional perspectives on religion and gender,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How religion shapes, reinforces, or challenges gender norms in various societies.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We especially encourage research&nbsp;providing&nbsp;new empirical insights into underrepresented groups and everyday contexts of religious life.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By bringing together diverse perspectives, this session aims to deepen understanding of how gender shapes religious experience, and how contemporary transformations in religion and society are reshaping gender identities in turn.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Session Format: <em>Standard paper presentation<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Organiser(s)\/Chair(s):<\/h5>\n\n\n<style>.kb-table-container1098_76d1b7-0a{overflow-x:auto;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_76d1b7-0a th{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);text-align:center;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_76d1b7-0a caption{text-align:center;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_76d1b7-0a td{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);text-align:left;}<\/style><div class=\"kb-table-container kb-table-container1098_76d1b7-0a wp-block-kadence-table\"><table class=\"kb-table kb-table1098_76d1b7-0a\">\n<tr class=\"kb-table-row kb-table-row1098_7f73f6-72\">\n<td  class=\"kb-table-data kb-table-data1098_375b87-c5\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kati&nbsp;Tervo-Niemel\u00e4<br><a href=\"mailto:kati.tervo-niemela@uef.fi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">kati.tervo-niemela@uef.fi<\/a><br>University of Eastern Finland&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<\/td>\n\n<td  class=\"kb-table-data kb-table-data1098_35ae37-73\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jenni&nbsp;Sp\u00e4nn\u00e4ri<br><a href=\"mailto:jenni.spannari@helsinki.fi\" data-type=\"mailto\" data-id=\"mailto:jenni.spannari@helsinki.fi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">jenni.spannari@helsinki.fi<\/a><br>University of Helsinki<\/p>\n\n<\/td>\n\n<td  class=\"kb-table-data kb-table-data1098_736a52-57\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Marjukka Laiho<br><a href=\"mailto:marjukka.laiho@uef.fi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">marjukka.laiho@uef.fi<\/a><br>University of Eastern Finland<\/p>\n\n<\/td>\n\n<td  class=\"kb-table-data kb-table-data1098_1bc004-7d\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anna Salonen<br><a href=\"mailto:anna.salonen@uef.fi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">anna.salonen@uef.fi<\/a><br>University of Eastern Finland<\/p>\n\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table><\/div>\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session 6a: Wednesday 12 August | 15:00\u201316:30 at Camera Obscura (E201)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Seekers of Stability and Builders of Meaning: A Typology of Young Men\u2019s Christian Orientations<\/strong><br>Kati Tervo-Niemel\u00e4 (University of Eastern Finland)<br>Pietari Hannikainen (University of Helsinki)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Closing the gap? Changing gender differences in religiosity in European population surveys<\/strong><br>Ingrid Storm (MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session 6b: Thursday 13 August | 09:00\u201310:30 at Camera Obscura (E201)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>(Be)Coming of Age: Older Men, Meaning and Religion in Life Transitions \u2013 A Co-Research Approach to Lived Theologies and Masculinities<\/strong><br>Jenni Sp\u00e4nn\u00e4ri (University of Helsinki, University of Eastern Finland)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lived theologies of masculinity: The construction of gender in young men\u2019s talk on religion<\/strong><br>Marjukka Laiho (University of Eastern Finland)<br>Kati Tervo-Niemel\u00e4 (University of Eastern Finland)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session 6c: Thursday 13 August | 13:30\u201315:00&nbsp;at Camera Obscura (E201)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The female life expectancy advantage under the lens of religious affiliation<\/strong><br>Julia Karhunen (\u00c5bo Akademi University)<br>Vegard Skirbekk (Norwegian Institute of Public Health &amp; Columbia University)<br>Jan Saarela (\u00c5bo Akademi University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Between Halakha and Egalitarianism: Orthodox-Egalitarian Jewish Communities in Contemporary Europe<\/strong><br>Tourgeman Liri (School of Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences \u2013 EHESS)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-pane kt-accordion-pane kt-accordion-pane-8 kt-pane1098_0bdc9e-e1\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-header-wrap\"><button class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-header kt-acccordion-button-label-show\" type=\"button\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title-wrap\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title\">7. Pastors and Power: Religious Leadership in Times of Uncertainty<\/span><\/span><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger\"><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel kt-accordion-panel-hidden\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel-inner\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Recent years\u2014marked by pandemic disruptions, geopolitical instability, ecological crisis, and rising secularization\u2014have highlighted anew how religious leaders navigate questions of power, authority, and credibility. This session explores religious leadership in contexts where traditional authority is both contested and urgently needed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The session invites research on religious leadership within Christianity and other religious traditions, addressing how leaders interpret and perform their roles in changing social environments. One of the studies included presents results from a Nordic survey among church leaders in Lutheran majority contexts. Against the background of growing religious and worldview diversity, secularization, and institutional decline, this 2024\u20132025 study explores how church leaders describe their everyday work and how they perceive their role in church and society.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br>We welcome paper proposals that examine how religious leadership is practiced, experienced, and interpreted in various contexts.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Session Format: <em>Standard paper presentation<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Organiser(s)\/Chair(s):<\/h5>\n\n\n<style>.kb-table-container1098_5f54da-86{overflow-x:auto;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_5f54da-86 th{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);text-align:center;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_5f54da-86 caption{text-align:center;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_5f54da-86 td{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);text-align:left;}<\/style><div class=\"kb-table-container kb-table-container1098_5f54da-86 wp-block-kadence-table\"><table class=\"kb-table kb-table1098_5f54da-86\">\n<tr class=\"kb-table-row kb-table-row1098_a821e2-cd\">\n<td  class=\"kb-table-data kb-table-data1098_9e6efb-ba\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kati&nbsp;Tervo-Niemel\u00e4<br><a href=\"mailto:kati.tervo-niemela@uef.fi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">kati.tervo-niemela@uef.fi<\/a><br>University of Eastern Finland&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<\/td>\n\n<td  class=\"kb-table-data kb-table-data1098_936ec8-ec\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cecilia Nahnfeldt<br><a href=\"mailto:cecilia.nahnfeldt@abo.fi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cecilia.nahnfeldt@abo.fi<\/a><br>\u00c5bo&nbsp;Akademi&nbsp;University<\/p>\n\n<\/td>\n\n<td  class=\"kb-table-data kb-table-data1098_74815a-5a\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Annette Leis-Peters<br><a href=\"mailto:annette.leis-peters@vid.no\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">annette.leis-peters@vid.no<\/a><br>VID Specialized University&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table><\/div>\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session 7a: Thursday 13 August | 13:30\u201315:00 at Simone Weil (M134)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Calling, Boundaries, and Work Orientations: Nordic Lutheran Clergy in a Time of Institutional Strain<\/strong><br>Kati Tervo-Niemel\u00e4 (University of Eastern Finland)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Leading Loss? How Do Clergy and Church Leaders Respond to the Decreasing Relevance of the Lutheran Majority Churches in the Nordic Countries?<\/strong><br>Annette Leis-Peters (VID Specialized University)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session 7b: Thursday 13 August | 15:30\u201317:00 at Simone Weil (M134)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Changing Work Orientations among Employees of the Finnish Lutheran Church&nbsp;<\/strong><br>Hanna Salom\u00e4ki (Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Finland)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Negotiating Digital Change: BoundaryCrossing Mechanisms in Churches<\/strong><br>Elisabeth Tveito Johnsen (University of Oslo, URPP Digital religion(s))<br>Thomas Schlag (University of Z\u00fcrich, URPP Digital religion(s))<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Gospel and Poverty Alleviation: An Application of the Communicative Perspective of African Biblical Hermeneutics in the Study of Wealth and Poverty in Luke\u2019s Gospel and in the Prosperity Preaching in Ghana<\/strong><br>Abraham Ofoe Agbenu (St. Francis College of Education, Hohoe-Ghana)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session 7c: Friday 14 August | 09:00\u201310:30 at Simone Weil (M134)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Gendered Authority in a County Church: Women\u2019s Religious Leadership and Everyday Governance in Rural China<\/strong><br>Shiliang Feng (Socio-Anthropologie des Techniques at Universit\u00e9 Paris 1 Panth\u00e9on-Sorbonne)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Leading Religious Greening Processes: The Role of Umbrella Organizations in Religious Organizations in Switzerland<\/strong><br>Maja Kofod Jensen (University of Oslo)<br>Sileshie Semahagne Kumlachew (University of Oslo)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-pane kt-accordion-pane kt-accordion-pane-9 kt-pane1098_3a077c-42\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-header-wrap\"><button class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-header kt-acccordion-button-label-show\" type=\"button\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title-wrap\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title\">8. Religious Minorities,&nbsp;Migration&nbsp;and Gender in the Nordics<\/span><\/span><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger\"><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel kt-accordion-panel-hidden\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel-inner\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Migration has long been a key factor in shaping the religious landscape of the Nordic countries, and it continues to transform religion at structural,&nbsp;organisational&nbsp;and individual levels of society. These shifts generate new forms of diversity and raise pressing questions of representation and marginalisation, within broader society as well as in scholarly research.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Nordic scholarship has extensively examined the relationship between migration and religion, there is still a lack of research dealing with intersections of gender and religious minorities within these dynamics. Further research is needed on women,&nbsp;migration&nbsp;and religious minorities, but there is also a notable research gap on men, masculinities, and indigenous groups. In this open session we turn attention to these topics, with the aim of fostering dialogue on the complex interplay between migration, religious minorities, and gender.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We invite papers that explore how gender intersects with religious minorities and migration in Nordic contexts. The concept religious minorities&nbsp;is&nbsp;applied broadly and may include a wide range of minority communities within larger religious traditions such as Christianity,&nbsp;Buddhism&nbsp;and Islam. We also encourage research that address minorities within minorities, as well as marginalised groups such as sexual and gendered minorities. Papers that apply intersectional approaches to individual identities and structures of inequality are particularly welcome, including contributions that critically analyse the categories of gender,&nbsp;religion&nbsp;and migration in relation to one another, without reducing gender or religion to merely additive dimensions. We also welcome papers addressing methodological challenges in researching underrepresented and marginalised populations, with the aim of advancing more reflexive, inclusive and de-colonised approaches in the sociology of religion.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Possible research&nbsp;questions include, but are not limited to:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How has migration shaped religious landscapes and everyday lives in Nordic contexts?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In what ways do religion and gender intersect in religious minority communities in the Nordics?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What religious practices and forms of gendered agency are&nbsp;emerging&nbsp;in Nordic migrant settings?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What methodological challenges and issues of representation arise when researching the intersections of religious minorities and gender in this context?&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Session Format: <em>Standard paper presentation<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Organiser(s)\/Chair(s):<\/h5>\n\n\n<style>.kb-table-container1098_d52188-b3{overflow-x:auto;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_d52188-b3 th{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);text-align:center;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_d52188-b3 caption{text-align:center;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_d52188-b3 td{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);text-align:left;}<\/style><div class=\"kb-table-container kb-table-container1098_d52188-b3 wp-block-kadence-table\"><table class=\"kb-table kb-table1098_d52188-b3\">\n<tr class=\"kb-table-row kb-table-row1098_88c328-01\">\n<td  class=\"kb-table-data kb-table-data1098_b36b7c-f8\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Marianne&nbsp;Hafnor&nbsp;B\u00f8e<br><a href=\"mailto:marianne.boe@uis.no\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">marianne.boe@uis.no<\/a><br>University of Stavanger<\/p>\n\n<\/td>\n\n<td  class=\"kb-table-data kb-table-data1098_c44df1-a0\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Line Nyhagen<br><a href=\"mailto:l.nyhagen@lboro.ac.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">l.nyhagen@lboro.ac.uk<\/a><br>Loughborough University<\/p>\n\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table><\/div>\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session 8a: Wednesday 12 August | 15:00\u201316:30&nbsp;at Voltaire (M127)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Barriers and Access to National Identity: The Meaning of Religious Affiliation, Skin-Color and Gender for Immigrants\u2019 Belonging in Secular Norway<\/strong><br>Aseel Abuzaid (University of Stavanger)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Negotiating Womanhood and Being a Good Muslim: Authentication Processes among Pakistani Migrant Women in Norway<\/strong><br>Annam Azeem (University of Stavanger)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Entwined and Interwoven: How Race, Religion, and Gender Combine in White Muslim Women\u2019s Lives<\/strong><br>Lars L. Iversen (MF Vitenskapelige h\u00f8gskole)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session 8b: Thursday 13 August | 09:00\u201310:30 at Voltaire (M127)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>More than decorations? Buddhist artifacts, lived religion and experienced stigma among women working in Thai massage in Norway,\u2013 stigma, agency, lived religion<\/strong><br>Anne Brit Hatleskog (VID Specialized University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Migration, gender and religion \u2013 The feminization of Thai Buddhism in Finland<\/strong><br>Mitra H\u00e4rk\u00f6nen (University of Helsinki)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Between Media and the Mosques<\/strong><br>Sissel Kvein\u00e5 Tonstad (University of Agder)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session 8c: Thursday 13 August | 13:30\u201315:00 at Voltaire (M127)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Divorce Under the Radar: Politics, Gender and Muslim Divorce Councils in Norway<\/strong><br>Olav Elgvin (Fafo \u2013 Institute for Social Research)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The challenge of counting heads: Studying gendered leadership in Swedish minority congregations<\/strong><br>Maria Klingenberg (Uppsala University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Understanding Religious, Ethnic, and Gender Discrimination Complaints in Swedish Healthcare<\/strong><br>Lise Eriksson \u2013 presenting author (Uppsala University)<br>Aje Carlbom (Malm\u00f6 University)<br>Birgitta Ess\u00e9n (Uppsala University)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-pane kt-accordion-pane kt-accordion-pane-10 kt-pane1098_7875bc-57\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-header-wrap\"><button class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-header kt-acccordion-button-label-show\" type=\"button\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title-wrap\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title\">9. Religion and Right-Wing Populism<\/span><\/span><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger\"><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel kt-accordion-panel-hidden\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel-inner\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This session discusses the relationship between religion and right-wing populism in Scandinavia and across Europe. Like in many Western countries, right-wing populist parties are on the rise in the Nordic countries, especially among young men. The turn towards authoritarian values has, in many cases, also led to a resurgence of traditional forms of religion. Reports from several countries&nbsp;indicate&nbsp;that young people are being radicalised and attracted to authoritarian values.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br>In this session, we welcome theoretical and empirical papers that examine how right-wing populism and religion interact. Papers can look at why young people, especially young men, are attracted to right-wing populism and, at the same time, traditional forms of religion. Articles may also examine how far-right parties or politicians use religion in their rhetoric, or how Christian leaders respond to populist politicians, including their policies on gender equality, environmental protection, and immigration.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Furthermore, we want to discuss recruitment into these movements: what factors at the individual and societal levels can explain why young people are attracted to them? Theories of radicalisation point to marginalisation as a crucial factor. At the societal level, increasing uncertainty related to rapid changes in material and cultural conditions may pave the way for radical groups.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Religion is an element in the turn towards authoritarian populism. In&nbsp;previous&nbsp;research, religion has been used to explain political preferences. Recently, theorists have turned this around and started to view religion as an effect variable influenced by political processes. Are people becoming more interested in religion as a side effect of becoming fascinated with populist ideas?&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br>Right-wing populists often use religion to achieve political goals. This is done in&nbsp;different ways. In Western European countries, populists often use Christianity as an identity marker and counterweight to Islam, while in other cases, they are also concerned with religion as belief or practice. The authoritarian and populist wave brings religion back into politics, albeit often in a more indirect form than in the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Session Format: <em>Standard paper presentation<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Organiser(s)\/Chair(s):<\/h5>\n\n\n<style>.kb-table-container1098_651225-ca{overflow-x:auto;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_651225-ca th{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);text-align:center;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_651225-ca caption{text-align:center;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_651225-ca td{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);text-align:left;}<\/style><div class=\"kb-table-container kb-table-container1098_651225-ca wp-block-kadence-table\"><table class=\"kb-table kb-table1098_651225-ca\">\n<tr class=\"kb-table-row kb-table-row1098_cbf447-e3\">\n<td  class=\"kb-table-data kb-table-data1098_423086-5a\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">P\u00e5l Ketil&nbsp;Botvar<br><a href=\"mailto:pal.k.botvar@uia.no\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">pal.k.botvar@uia.no<\/a><br>University of Agder&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<\/td>\n\n<td  class=\"kb-table-data kb-table-data1098_a1119b-b0\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Olav Hovdelien<br><a href=\"mailto:olav.hovdelien@oslomet.no\" data-type=\"mailto\" data-id=\"mailto:olav.hovdelien@oslomet.no\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">olav.hovdelien@oslomet.no<\/a><br>Oslo Metropolitan University<\/p>\n\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table><\/div>\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session 9a: Wednesday 12 August | 15:00\u201316:30&nbsp;at Simone Weil (M134)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Gender and Family Debates over the Istanbul Convention in Lithuania News Media (2011-2015)<\/strong><br>Gintar\u0117 Poc\u0117 (Vytautas Magnus University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>SSPX and the Political Far-Right in France<\/strong><br>Olav Hovdelien (Oslo Metropolitan University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The relationship between religion and populism in young people in Norway<\/strong><br>P\u00e5l K. Botvar (University of Agder)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session 9b: Thursday 13 August | 09:00\u201310:30&nbsp;at Simone Weil (M134)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Christian nationalism among Pentecostal-charismatic groups&nbsp;<\/strong><br>Espen Gilsvik (Oslo Metropolitan University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sceptical attitudes toward public religion \u2013 xenophobia or secularism?<\/strong><br>Anders Sj\u00f6borg (University of Uppsala)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Traditionalism \u2013 searching order and meaning in the modern world&nbsp;<\/strong><br>Jussi Sohlberg (The Church Institute for Research and Advanced Training)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-pane kt-accordion-pane kt-accordion-pane-11 kt-pane1098_9df0d7-f7\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-header-wrap\"><button class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-header kt-acccordion-button-label-show\" type=\"button\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title-wrap\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title\">10. Political Culture, Religion, and Legitimation<\/span><\/span><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger\"><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel kt-accordion-panel-hidden\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel-inner\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Nordic parliaments, as well as political&nbsp;culture generally, religion&nbsp;often becomes conspicuous in situations where conservative perspectives that advocate for public religion clash with liberal and secular views. However, the practice of legitimating politics with religion is embraced by only a few politicians. Islam is often the subject of distinct governance and portrayed as threat in far-right identity politics. Typically, political discussion on religion concerns freedom of religion and its balance with other rights and freedoms. Nonetheless, not all instances of the political presence of religion are conflictual, as national churches&nbsp;maintain&nbsp;an unquestioned position, and&nbsp;established&nbsp;parties continue to uphold the churches&#8217; privileged status in various ways.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br>This panel invites papers that delve into the presence of religion in political culture, examining the ways in which religion is used to legitimate politics or how religion is legitimated or de-legitimated in politics within Nordic, European, and global contexts. We interpret our key concepts, politics, political culture, and legitimation, broadly. Example topics&nbsp;include, but&nbsp;are not limited&nbsp;to:&nbsp;religion and party politics, religion and political activism, national churches and political culture, political influence of religious actors, the political governance of religious diversity, and methodological considerations in the study of religion,&nbsp;politics&nbsp;and legitimation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Session Format: <em>Standard paper presentation<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Organiser(s)\/Chair(s):<\/h5>\n\n\n<style>.kb-table-container1098_106494-ec{overflow-x:auto;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_106494-ec th{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);text-align:center;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_106494-ec caption{text-align:center;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_106494-ec td{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);text-align:left;}<\/style><div class=\"kb-table-container kb-table-container1098_106494-ec wp-block-kadence-table\"><table class=\"kb-table kb-table1098_106494-ec\">\n<tr class=\"kb-table-row kb-table-row1098_5dbf61-fc\">\n<td  class=\"kb-table-data kb-table-data1098_cf6ec4-df\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Titus Hjelm<br><a href=\"mailto:titus.hjelm@helsinki.fi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">titus.hjelm@helsinki.fi<\/a><br>University of Helsinki<\/p>\n\n<\/td>\n\n<td  class=\"kb-table-data kb-table-data1098_6c26cd-60\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tuomas&nbsp;\u00c4yst\u00f6<br><a href=\"mailto:tuomas.aysto@helsinki.fi\" data-type=\"mailto\" data-id=\"mailto:tuomas.aysto@helsinki.fi\">tuomas.aysto@helsinki.fi<\/a><br>University of Helsinki<\/p>\n\n<\/td>\n\n<td  class=\"kb-table-data kb-table-data1098_d50c4f-cd\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jenna Kuronen<br><a href=\"mailto:jenna.kuronen@helsinki.fi\">jenna.kuronen@helsinki.fi<\/a><br>University of Helsinki<\/p>\n\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table><\/div>\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session 10a: Wednesday 12 August | 15:00\u201316:30 at Armfelt (A102)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>How Can Increased Political Visibility of Religion Indicate Increased Secularisation? Three Methodological Approaches to \u2018Christianism\u2019<\/strong><br>Titus Hjelm (University of Helsinki)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Islamist Anti-Gender Mobilization as Moral Activism: Ethical Self-Cultivation as a Political Technology of Authoritarian Governance in Turkey<\/strong><br>Didem Unal (University of Helsinki)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session 10b: Thursday 13 August | 09:00\u201310:30&nbsp;at Armfelt (A102)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Expressions of political opinion among religious actors in Sweden: an analysis of statements of opinion from faith communities and religious organisations in Sweden 2014-2025<\/strong><br>Josephine Ganebo (Marie Cederschi\u00f6ld University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Orthodox Churches and the Global Political Order in Finnish News Media Reporting on the War in Ukraine<\/strong><br>Jere Kyyr\u00f6 (University of Tampere)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session 10c: Thursday 13 August | 13:30\u201315:00 at Armfelt (A102)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Relationship Between Christian Traditions and Economic Egalitarianism in the Western World<\/strong><br>Jussi Pietinalho (University of Turku)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Milk, Nationalism, and Food Security: Legitimating Finnish Dairy Production through Public Discourses<\/strong><br>Jenna Kuronen (University of Helsinki)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Education and Fragile Truth: Religion, Science, and Dialogue in Democratic Political Culture<\/strong><br>Lars \u00c5smund Laird Iversen (MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-pane kt-accordion-pane kt-accordion-pane-12 kt-pane1098_8c8302-67\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-header-wrap\"><button class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-header kt-acccordion-button-label-show\" type=\"button\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title-wrap\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title\">11. Joy at the Margins: Approaching Marginalized Religious Communities as Spaces of Hope, Creativity, and Resilience<\/span><\/span><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger\"><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel kt-accordion-panel-hidden\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel-inner\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Research on minoritized religious communities has often focused on the structural discrimination, exclusion and intersecting forms of oppression that shape their everyday lives. While this scholarship has generated valuable insights into how power&nbsp;operates&nbsp;within contemporary societies, it risks overshadowing the internal diversity and agential capacity that also characterize marginalized religious communities. Alongside experiences of exclusion, these communities cultivate practices and tactical responses of hope, creativity, and alternative imaginaries that sustain a sense of belonging and possibility.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This session proposes to shift the analytical perspective towards joy as a meaningful lens through which to understand the lived experiences of religious minorities. Approaching marginalized religious communities with an analytical perspective of joy can illuminate how these communities negotiate marginality, resist reduction to victimhood, and create spaces where alternative social, spiritual, and emotional realities are imagined and enacted. By foregrounding joy, the session will reconsider dominant framings within sociology of religion that&nbsp;render&nbsp;marginalized groups primarily through the prism of vulnerability. Whilst recognizing the structural conditions that shape the lived experiences of religious minorities,&nbsp;centering&nbsp;the research around dimensions of joy allows for a more nuanced and multilayered understanding of religious minority life.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br>This session invites contributions that examine how joy takes shape in practices, rituals, narratives, communal forms, or institutional engagements; how it intersects with resistance and belonging; and how it may advance theoretical and methodological debates within sociology of religion. In doing so, this session aims to broaden the analytical repertoire of the field and to contribute to ongoing conversations about religion, marginality,&nbsp;agency&nbsp;and everyday religious life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Session Format: <em>Standard paper presentation<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Organiser(s)\/Chair(s):<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anna Holmqvist<br><a href=\"mailto:anna.holmqvist@teol.uu.se\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">anna.holmqvist@teol.uu.se<\/a><br>Uppsala University<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session 11a: Thursday 13 August | 15:30\u201317:00 at Armfelt (A102)&nbsp;<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>\u201cBeing Jewish is fun but hard\u201d: Towards a multifaceted understanding of minority belonging<\/strong><br>Hanna Nir (Uppsala University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Blessed to be Queer: joy, agency and community in queer Muslim groups in the United Kingdom<\/strong><br>Anna Holmqvist (Uppsala University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Happiness of Finnish female Muslim converts&nbsp;<\/strong><br>Katariina&nbsp;Iman Heinonen (\u00c5bo Akademi University)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session 11b: Friday 14 August | 09:00\u201310:30 at Armfelt (A102)&nbsp;<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Versatile Capacities and Missed Opportunities: A Case Study on Religious Minority Communities\u2019 Roles in Urban Resilience Amidst COVID-19 in Helsinki, Finland<\/strong><br>Jana Barbara Turk (University of Helsinki)<br>Henrietta Gr\u00f6nlund (University of Helsinki)<br>Pasi M\u00e4enp\u00e4\u00e4 (University of Helsinki)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Satanic Joy as an Emotional Regime: Affect, Agency, and Belonging in The Satanic Temple<\/strong><br>Zhivka Koleva (Uppsala University)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-pane kt-accordion-pane kt-accordion-pane-13 kt-pane1098_5b3791-e3\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-header-wrap\"><button class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-header kt-acccordion-button-label-show\" type=\"button\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title-wrap\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title\">12. Varieties of Mystical Experience in the Sociology of Religion<\/span><\/span><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger\"><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel kt-accordion-panel-hidden\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel-inner\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mystical experiences interpreted within institutional religions have historically been studied in the field of science of religion. However, varieties of mystical experience among the&nbsp;general public&nbsp;and among populations at the margins of society outside institutional religions&nbsp;remain&nbsp;understudied. By examining religion in its various forms \u2013 and in this case, mystical experiences interpreted both within and outside institutional religions \u2013 the Sociology of Religion offers an analytic lens partly distinct from other disciplines studying religion. This trajectory signals a promising expansion of the Sociology of Religion in a Nordic context, providing sociological and contextual insights into mystical experiences that enrich the global interdisciplinary field of research while contributing to discussions of secularisation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This session invites paper proposals exploring mystical experiences among the&nbsp;general public&nbsp;as well as among the marginalised,&nbsp;vulnerable&nbsp;and socially excluded. Mystical experience is conceived broadly to encompass interpretations and phenomena that may, for instance, have been described as religious, spiritual, transformative, existential, paranormal,&nbsp;supernatural&nbsp;or inexplicable. Contributors are encouraged to reflect on methodological challenges in this line of research.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br>Possible questions papers may address include: How are spontaneous mystical experiences interpreted by individuals among the public or by marginalised, vulnerable and socially excluded individuals or groups? How meaningful are the experiences? Which cultural,&nbsp;social&nbsp;or local norms inform the attitudes toward, understanding of and narration of mystical experiences? Under what social and contextual conditions can mystical experiences function as a resource \u2013 supporting health,&nbsp;resilience&nbsp;and coherence \u2013 or as obstacles, contributing to&nbsp;unhealthiness,&nbsp;stigma&nbsp;and exclusion? How can mystical experiences relate to trauma and unhealth\/health and coping strategies? How are mystical experiences integrated into everyday life, the life narrative, the&nbsp;identity&nbsp;and social roles? To what extent can varieties of mystical experience lead to the formation of new communities and social networks, online or offline? How can sociological research capture and&nbsp;analyze&nbsp;deeply subjective, often ineffable experiences, not least among marginalised or vulnerable populations? What methodological and ethical challenges arise in studying mystical experiences, and how can they be addressed? How can sociological theory and perspectives, for instance, secularisation, pluralisation and medialisation frameworks, illuminate the study of mystical experiences outside institutional religions?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Session Format: <em>Standard paper presentation<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Organiser(s)\/Chair(s):<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Katarina Johansson<br><a href=\"mailto:katarina.g.johansson@abo.fi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">katarina.g.johansson@abo.fi<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:katarina@kenosis.se\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">katarina@kenosis.se<\/a><br>\u00c5bo&nbsp;Akademi&nbsp;University\/&nbsp;Uppsala University&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session 12a: Thursday 13 August | 15:30\u201317:00 at Helikon (A202)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>\u201cNot Religious, Yet Meaningful\u201d: Social Dimensions of Spontaneous Mystical Experiences in Nordic Secular Contexts<\/strong><br>Katarina Johansson (\u00c5bo Akademi University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Experiences of Transcendence Challenge the Secularization Thesis \u2013 Theory, Quantitative, and Qualitative Findings<\/strong><br>Stefan Huber (STH Basel \u2013 Staatsunabh\u00e4ngige Theologische Hochschule Basel)<br>Brittany Ehemann (University of Bern)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Experiences of Transcendence as Pathways to Meaning Among Atheists, Agnostics, and Humanists<\/strong><br>Tatjana Schnell (MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session 12b: Friday 14 August | 09:00\u201310:30 at Helikon (A202)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Approaching Spiritual Intimacy in the Context of Contemporary Magical Practices: Ethics and Methodological Challenges<\/strong><br>Andrea Franchetto (Stockholm University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Social and Personal Aspects of the Polish Folk Visionary Katarzyna Szymon\u2019s Mystical Experience. Sociological Perspective<\/strong><br>Maciej Krzywosz (University of Bia\u0142ystok)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Logics of Mediation: Social Adjudication and the Making of Mystical Authenticity in the Case of Joseph Ayo Babalola<\/strong><br>Tomilola Fadipe (Tampere University)<br>Ali Qadir (Tampere University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Seizing the Varieties of Mystical Experiences in the Global Amma Movement: A Gift and Relational Approach<\/strong><br>Fran\u00e7ois Gauthier (Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-pane kt-accordion-pane kt-accordion-pane-14 kt-pane1098_2d141b-14\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-header-wrap\"><button class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-header kt-acccordion-button-label-show\" type=\"button\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title-wrap\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title\">13. New Methods and Perspectives for Researching Under-Researched Groups in Religious Majority Populations<\/span><\/span><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger\"><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel kt-accordion-panel-hidden\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel-inner\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The session will address how groups that are less visible within a religious majority can be studied with new methods or combinations of methods as well as how such studies can contribute to the development of both established and emerging theories.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The focus of this roundtable will be on innovation and validity in empirically testing new theories and concepts that have gain much attention in current sociology of religion, such as lived religion, post-secularity, culturalized religion and hybrid religion.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The session welcomes short papers (5-7 minutes) which present the complexity of the research case in focus and the used or proposed research design and will centre on a collective discussion of the issues raised. Examples of relevant contributions are questions such as how lived religion can be studied with a mixed-methods perspective, how&nbsp;culturalised&nbsp;religion can best be explored amongst groups with different social and cultural capital, or the significance of gender,&nbsp;age&nbsp;and ethnicity for more individualized forms of religiosity?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Session Format: <em><em>Roundtable<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Organiser(s)\/Chair(s):<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Martha Middlemiss&nbsp;L\u00e9&nbsp;Mon&nbsp;<br><a href=\"mailto:martha.middlemiss@crs.uu.se\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">martha.middlemiss@crs.uu.se<\/a><br>CRS, Uppsala University<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Friday 14 August | 09:00\u201310:30 at Camera Obscura (E201)&nbsp;<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Studying the Invisible Influence: Methodological Challenges in Researching Religious Actors&#8217; Lobbying in Finnish Local Governments&nbsp;<\/strong><br>Jenni Sp\u00e4nn\u00e4ri (Helsinki University)<br>Emilia Korkea-aho (University of Eastern Finland \u2013 UEF)<br>Kaisa Kurkela (University of Eastern Finland \u2013 UEF)<br>Salla Mikkonen (University of Eastern Finland \u2013 UEF)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>\u201cI hadn&#8217;t realized that Harry Potter had anything to do with Christianity\u201d: Confirmands\u2019 Reflections and Experiences of Film in Confirmation Teaching<\/strong><br>Ingvild Thu Kro (Ansgar University College)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Researching the religiosity of very young children as under-researched group: Methodological and research ethical insights<\/strong><br>Arniika Kuusisto (Helsinki University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mapping the religious geography of a declining culture<\/strong><br>Stefan Gelfgren (Ume\u00e5 University)<br>Jakob Dahlbacka (\u00c5bo Akademi University)<br>Bo Ejstrud (Holstebro Museum)<br>Andreas Tjomsland (Volda University College)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-pane kt-accordion-pane kt-accordion-pane-15 kt-pane1098_35e8af-1f\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-header-wrap\"><button class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-header kt-acccordion-button-label-show\" type=\"button\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title-wrap\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title\">14. Negotiating Christianity Within Alternative Spiritual Healing and Meditation Practices<\/span><\/span><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger\"><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel kt-accordion-panel-hidden\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel-inner\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The late-modern era has&nbsp;witnessed&nbsp;a range of highly notable transformations in the Christian field on a worldwide scale. As the societal and cultural influence of traditional institutional Christianity continues to wane, independent non-denominational \u201cseeker sensitive\u201d churches continue to proliferate and thrive. In addition to these changes in bias, a wide range of alternative understandings that often significantly expand on the conventional boundaries of the \u201cChristian\u201d have also continued to form, proliferate, and mutate in the \u201cmargins\u201d of contracting institutional Christian \u201cmainstreams.\u201d These margins consist of a multitude of often informally or weakly organized sites of eclectic religious or spiritual exploration that have&nbsp;largely remained&nbsp;unmarked by the presence of institutional and more firmly organized religious actors.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the most significant among these sites is the field of alternative spiritual healing and meditation practices. These practices have become increasingly&nbsp;established&nbsp;throughout the West following the wider proliferation of&nbsp;various types&nbsp;of holistic spiritualities since the mid-1960s,&nbsp;mainly sourced&nbsp;by ideas and practices derived from Asian religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism, especially as mediated through Theosophy and the so-called New Age.&nbsp;Previous&nbsp;scholarship has also noted the presence and visibility of Christian ideas and notions in the field, and the creation of \u201cChristianized\u201d variants of e.g. mindfulness and yoga. These types of more direct Christian engagements with alternative spiritual healing and meditation practices have typically occurred on the margins of institutional Christianity and have involved the forming of&nbsp;particular strategies&nbsp;to reconcile core Christian beliefs with other notions prevalent in the broader field of holistic spiritualities, such as the channelling of energies, for example.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This panel explores the present-day relationship between Christianity and alternative healing and meditation practices in various geographical contexts. We invite paper proposals, which focus on the ways in which Christianity affects the alternative practices, or how these in turn transform Christianity. The geographical and cultural context, and the form of Christianity in question may vary. We also invite proposals on the various new and alternative meanings that people attach to the \u201cChristian\u201d both within and in relation to alternative healing and meditation practices, as well as the reasons for these practices forming important sites for religious and spiritual exploration.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Session Format: <em>Standard paper presentation<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Organiser(s)\/Chair(s):<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Minna&nbsp;Opas<br><a href=\"mailto:minna.opas@utu.fi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">minna.opas@utu.fi<\/a><br>University of Turku<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Thursday 13 August | 15:30\u201317:00 at Valhall (D206)&nbsp;<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Researching Rupture Without Resolution<\/strong><br>Taika Nummi (\u00c5bo Akademi University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Christian Yoga and Mindfulness in Finland. Processes of secularization, re-interpretation and re-sacralization<\/strong><br>Tommy Ramstedt (\u00c5bo Akademi University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Scenes combining Christianity with alternative medicine in Finnish alternative spiritual media<\/strong><br>Katriina Hulkkonen (University of Turku)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Body Mapping as a method for studying experiences of spirituality and wellbeing among yoga and meditation practitioners in Finland<\/strong><br>Linda Annunen (University of Turku)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-pane kt-accordion-pane kt-accordion-pane-16 kt-pane1098_0727a9-16\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-header-wrap\"><button class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-header kt-acccordion-button-label-show\" type=\"button\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title-wrap\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title\">15. Religion and Migration<\/span><\/span><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger\"><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel kt-accordion-panel-hidden\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel-inner\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">International migration has now for several decades been transformative force of religious change in societies around the world. Numerous new religious minorities have&nbsp;emerged&nbsp;as a result and some areas have become religiously highly diverse, so called super-diverse majority-minority cities. Academic research has followed this&nbsp;development&nbsp;and various perspectives have&nbsp;emerged&nbsp;to conceptualize the situation. Discourses have gradually shifted from multiculturalism\/world religions to diaspora\/pluralism\/diversity to transnationalism\/super-diversity. Much of the current discussion on ethno-religious diversity emphasizes critical, de-constructive perspectives, such as postcolonialism, but essentialist identities&nbsp;is&nbsp;still commonly prescribed to religious minorities. This session is open to all papers discussing some aspects of migration and&nbsp;religion, and&nbsp;also welcomes critical contributions.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Session Format: <em>Standard paper presentation<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Organiser(s)\/Chair(s):<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tuomas Martikainen<br><a href=\"mailto:tuomas.martikainen@utu.fi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tuomas.martikainen@utu.fi<\/a><br>University of Turku<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session 15a: Wednesday 12 August | 15:00\u201316:30 at Helikon (A202)&nbsp;<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>What Shapes Belonging? The Role of Identity and Religiosity Among First-Generation Muslims in Finland<\/strong><br>Muhammad Tayyab (University of Helsinki)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>\u2019What Physicist cannot Explain is already in the Qur\u2019an\u2019. From Doubt to Pride in a Young Finnish Muslim\u2019s Faith.<\/strong><br>Aytan Bashirova (University of Helsinki)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Thai Buddhist temples in Norway and the Norwegian Church in Thailand: Transnational religion and intimate mobilities<\/strong><br>Bj\u00f8rn Hallstein Holte (VID Specialized University)<br>Kari Storstein Haug (VID Specialized University)<br>Sanjana Arora (VID Specialized University)<br>Sarah Normann (VID Specialized University)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session 15b: Thursday 13 August | 09:00\u201310:30 at Helikon (A202)&nbsp;<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Variation within a religious minority: Finnish and Swedish-speaking young Muslims in Finland<\/strong><br>Tuomas Martikainen (University of Turku)<br>Pinja Luoma (University of Turku)<br>Isak Hannus (University of Helsinki)<br>Ossian Klingstedt (\u00c5bo Akademi University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Studying Muslim and Christian Refugees from Syria in German-speaking countries: Religious change between intensification and relativisation<\/strong><br>Martin Baumann (University of Lucerne)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Aspects of immigrants\u2019 religiosity in selected Finnish cities<\/strong><br>Kimmo Ketola (Church Institute for Research and Advanced Training)<br>Tuomas Martikainen (University of Turku)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session 15c: Thursday 13 August | 13:30\u201315:00 at Helikon (A202)&nbsp;<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Transnational Catholicism and the Negotiated Dignity of Migrant Labor<\/strong><br>Michael Brixtofte Petersen (Roskilde University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Handle with care. Religion as a professional resource in social service provision for migrants in faith-based organizations in the Netherlands and Norway<\/strong><br>Berta Escol\u00e0 i Parra (Tilburg University)<br>Kees de Groot (Tilburg University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Folk church as alienation or as openness towards the local stranger?<\/strong><br>Dorte Kappelgaard (MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-pane kt-accordion-pane kt-accordion-pane-17 kt-pane1098_d71dc9-10\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-header-wrap\"><button class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-header kt-acccordion-button-label-show\" type=\"button\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title-wrap\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title\">16. Necropolitics&nbsp;in the Nordic Countries<\/span><\/span><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger\"><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel kt-accordion-panel-hidden\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel-inner\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Necropolitics&nbsp;in the Nordic countries examine how death and dead bodies become governed in contemporary societies. We understand&nbsp;necropolitics&nbsp;as a vehicle for the expression of values and goals within society at large, communities, civil society, and individuals, as agents&nbsp;in their own right or&nbsp;by virtue of being actors in dealing with death, bereavement, and body disposal. This means that how society manages the dead bodies,&nbsp;establishes&nbsp;and maintains&nbsp;deathscapes, such as cemeteries, and how the living&nbsp;maintains&nbsp;relations with the deceased are significant factors in understanding&nbsp;necropolitics. This panel invites papers that address&nbsp;necropolitics&nbsp;in the Nordic context. It asks for in-depth empirical and contextual studies. By this, it allows tracing of factors that are similar as well as differ across the Nordic countries regarding&nbsp;necropolitics.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Session Format: <em>Standard paper presentation<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Organiser(s)\/Chair(s):<\/h5>\n\n\n<style>.kb-table-container1098_740e0d-fa{overflow-x:auto;}.kb-table1098_740e0d-fa tr > *:nth-child(1){width:50%;}.kb-table1098_740e0d-fa tr > *:nth-child(2){width:50%;}.kb-table1098_740e0d-fa{table-layout:fixed;width:100%;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_740e0d-fa th{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);text-align:center;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_740e0d-fa caption{text-align:center;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_740e0d-fa td{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);text-align:left;}<\/style><div class=\"kb-table-container kb-table-container1098_740e0d-fa wp-block-kadence-table\"><table class=\"kb-table kb-table1098_740e0d-fa\">\n<tr class=\"kb-table-row kb-table-row1098_3b57fe-69\">\n<td  class=\"kb-table-data kb-table-data1098_7fd69c-b2\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ida Marie H\u00f8eg<br><a href=\"mailto:ida.m.hoeg@uia.no\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ida.m.hoeg@uia.no<\/a><br>University of Agder&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<\/td>\n\n<td  class=\"kb-table-data kb-table-data1098_97d380-05\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Magdalena Nordin<br><a href=\"mailto:magdalena.nordin@lir.gu.se\" data-type=\"mailto\" data-id=\"mailto:magdalena.nordin@lir.gu.se\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">magdalena.nordin@lir.gu.se<\/a><br>University of Gothenburg<\/p>\n\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table><\/div>\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session 16a: Wednesday 12 August | 15:00\u201316:30 at Valhall (D206)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Negotiations of spacial politics at Malmi Catholic burial ground in Helsinki, Finland<\/strong><br>Auli V\u00e4h\u00e4kangas (University of Helsinki)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Death Between Absent Presence and Present Absence: Necropolitics, Loss of Control, and Everyday Encounters with Death in Denmark<\/strong><br>Henrik Reintoft Christensen (Aarhus University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Governing religion in ritual space. Opening ceremonies of new public cemetery space<\/strong><br>Ida Marie H\u00f8eg (University of Agder)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session 16b: Thursday 13 August | 09:00\u201310:30 at Valhall (D206)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Deathscape as Ethnoscape: Necropolitics, Belonging and Imagination at Lapinlahti Orthodox Cemetery<\/strong><br>Helena Kupari (University of Eastern Finland)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Religion, death, and border control. Necropolitics as a lens for researching religion-based asylum<\/strong><br>Helmi Halonen (University of Helsinki)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Necropolitics and Religious Minority Rights in Sweden. The Case of Grave Displacement<\/strong><br>Magdalena Nordin (Gothenburg University)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session 16c: Thursday 13 August | 13:30\u201315:00 at Valhall (D206)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Postmortem Relations at the Freethinkers\u2019 Cemetery in Finland: Heritage, Present and Future&nbsp;<\/strong><br>Helena Krohn (Helsinki University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Toivonen\u2013Cresto Memorial as Secular Pilgrimage Site<\/strong><br>Annika H\u00e4m\u00e4l\u00e4inen (University of Turku)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Multilayered Nature of an Orthodox Cemetery<\/strong><br>Maija Penttil\u00e4 (University of Helsinki)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Framing of pet cemeteries in Swedish newspapers 2015-2025<\/strong><br>Karin Jarnkvist (Mid&nbsp;Sweden&nbsp;University)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-pane kt-accordion-pane kt-accordion-pane-18 kt-pane1098_0e5089-2c\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-header-wrap\"><button class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-header kt-acccordion-button-label-show\" type=\"button\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title-wrap\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title\">17. Researching Minority (Non) Religions in the Baltic States: Approaches and Challenges<\/span><\/span><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger\"><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel kt-accordion-panel-hidden\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel-inner\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The three Baltic States have been consistently characterized as religiously diverse societies, including secular Estonia, religiously plural Latvia, and Catholic-majority Lithuania. However, academic discussions of the religious life of these societies go beyond the visible statistical landscape, including the historical, sociological, and structural factors that lay the groundwork for it, as well as the phenomena and groups that exist alongside it. Another missing point in these discussions is the role of the researcher of religion and the theoretical and empirical methodologies applied in the Baltic States. This session calls for a theoretical and empirical discussion of research on minority (non)religion in the Baltic States, the role of the researcher, and the approaches applied. Particularly, the comparative research would be of&nbsp;interest, but&nbsp;not limited to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Session Format: <em>Standard paper presentation<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Organiser(s)\/Chair(s):<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Milda&nbsp;Ali\u0161auskien\u0117<br><a href=\"mailto:milda.alisauskiene@vdu.lt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">milda.alisauskiene@vdu.lt<\/a><br>Vytautas Magnus University<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Friday 14 August | 09:00\u201310:30 at K\u00e4llan&nbsp;(C201)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Historical Gendered Experiences and the Study of Women\u2019s Lived Religion in Post-Socialist Context&nbsp;<\/strong><br>Morta Vid\u016bnait\u0117 (Vytautas Magnus University, Vytautas Kavolis Transdisciplinary Research Institute, &amp; University of Groningen)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Invisible by Design? Religious Minorities in Estonia\u2019s Longitudinal Religion Survey<\/strong><br>Olga Schihalejev (University of Tartu)<br>Atko Remmel (University of Tartu)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Giving Voice to Minority Religions in the Catholic Majority Society: Reflections on the Contextualities and Researcher\u2019s Positionality&nbsp;<\/strong><br>Milda Ali\u0161auskien\u0117 (Vytautas Magnus University)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-pane kt-accordion-pane kt-accordion-pane-19 kt-pane1098_8f41a2-89\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-header-wrap\"><button class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-header kt-acccordion-button-label-show\" type=\"button\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title-wrap\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title\">18. The Language of (Non)religious Complexity<\/span><\/span><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger\"><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel kt-accordion-panel-hidden\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel-inner\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nordic countries are considered the most secularized region in Europe, often measured by changes in beliefs, practices, and identities. However, secularization and religious change affect not only people&#8217;s&nbsp;behaviors&nbsp;and beliefs but also the ways they speak about matters that are important to them and the world around them. Additionally, (non)religious vocabulary is shaped by globalization, mediatization, and other processes, meaning that different generations may address the same ideas using completely different terminology. This panel invites papers that examine how people discuss (non)religious matters and what these discussions reveal about society in general, as well as methods for studying the language of (non)religion in the context of religious complexity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Session Format: <em>Standard paper presentation<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Organiser(s)\/Chair(s):<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Atko&nbsp;Remmel<br><a href=\"mailto:atko.remmel@ut.ee\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">atko.remmel@ut.ee<\/a><br>University of Tartu<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Wednesday 12 August | 15:00\u201316:30 at Westermarck (C101)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Potential life: A Study of Fetal Attitudes among Danes<\/strong><br>Astrid Krabbe Trolle (University of Copenhagen)<br>Klara Lippert B\u00f8dker (University of Copenhagen)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Relating, Deconstructing, or Reclaiming? How Finnish Nonreligious Young Adults Understand and Use Contemporary (Non)religious Concepts&nbsp;<\/strong><br>Tiina Parkkinen (University of Helsinki)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>After the Chain of Memory Breaks: How \u2018True Nones\u2019 Discuss (Non)religious and Existential Matters<\/strong><br>Atko Remmel (University of Tartu)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-pane kt-accordion-pane kt-accordion-pane-20 kt-pane1098_30083a-c5\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-header-wrap\"><button class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-header kt-acccordion-button-label-show\" type=\"button\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title-wrap\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title\">19. When Rituals Guide the Field: Immersion and the Study of Lived Religion<\/span><\/span><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger\"><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel kt-accordion-panel-hidden\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel-inner\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This panel explores how ritual practices&nbsp;do not simply constitute&nbsp;our objects of study, but actively guide, shape, and unsettle our research in the field. Rather than treating rituals, everyday religious practices, and embodied routines as static \u201cdata\u201d,&nbsp;we ask what happens when these practices become methodological tools, ethical challenges, and sites of co-presence between researchers and interlocutors.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We invite papers that engage with lived religion in a wide sense, from formal liturgies to informal gatherings, from diasporic prayer circles and commemorative events to digital rituals, domestic routines, and improvised acts of devotion or dissent. The panel is particularly interested in contributions that reflect on immersion and embodiment, moments when researchers join in, stand back, hesitate, or refuse participation, and the methodological, political, and affective questions that follow.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Possible themes include, but are not limited to, ritual participation, partial participation, or refusal as method, sensory, emotional, and relational dimensions of immersion, negotiating belonging, difference, and power through shared practices, lived religion in minority, diasporic, secular, or contested contexts, digital and mediated rituals and their methodological challenges, and reflexive accounts of fieldwork shaped by prayer, festivals, mourning, protest, or everyday routines.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We welcome contributions from anthropology, sociology, religious studies, and related disciplines, and encourage submissions that foreground reflexive, collaborative, or experimental approaches. By bringing together diverse case studies and methodological reflections, the panel aims to show how being \u201cguided by ritual\u201d can deepen our understanding of lived religion and reconfigure what counts as fieldwork.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Session Format: <em>Standard paper presentation<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Organiser(s)\/Chair(s):<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sumeera Hassan<br><a href=\"mailto:sumeera.hassan@helsinki.fi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sumeera.hassan@helsinki.fi<\/a><br>University of Helsinki<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session 19a: Thursday 13 August | 15:30\u201317:00 at Westermarck (C101)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Digital rituals in digital spaces: Digital structure and construction of the transhumanist scene<\/strong><br>Niklas Barholm (\u00c5bo Akademi University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Between Halakha and Egalitarianism: Orthodox-Egalitarian Jewish Communities in Contemporary Europe<\/strong><br>Liri Tourgeman (EHESS \u2013 School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session 19b: Friday 14 August | 09:00\u201310:30 at Westermarck (C101)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Across Familiar and Foreign Myths: Methodological Limits and Interpretive Responsibility<\/strong><br>Selene Feltrin (Independent researcher)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lived Religion in Mevlit Ceremonies: An Ethnographic Study from Istanbul<\/strong><br>Ay\u00e7a \u00c7avdar (Ko\u00e7 University)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-pane kt-accordion-pane kt-accordion-pane-21 kt-pane1098_acfa5f-6b\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-header-wrap\"><button class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-header kt-acccordion-button-label-show\" type=\"button\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title-wrap\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title\">20. Indigenous Perspectives and the Sociology of Religion<\/span><\/span><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger\"><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel kt-accordion-panel-hidden\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel-inner\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Research with indigenous people in the Nordic countries and elsewhere have brought important substantive and methodological questions into focus. Indigenous studies have been largely neglected in the sociology of religion in the Nordic countries. This may reflect enduring colonial divisions of academic labour, in which the study of Indigenous religions was traditionally assigned to anthropology and religious studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The session actualizes questions concerning the position of the researcher vis-a-vis research participants in marginalized positions. It also invites reflection on the shifting boundaries between research on and with minority populations, including the blurred boundaries and complexities between academic work and activism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What insights do Indigenous and postcolonial perspectives offer into debates on positionality, insider\/outsider dynamics, and the relationship between research and activism?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How can sociology of religion contribute relevant and responsible knowledge \u2013 and to whom?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How might insights from Indigenous studies inform research on both minority and majority populations?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We welcome papers that reflects upon research on religion in S\u00e1pmi, Greenland\/Kalaallit Nunaat, other Nordic national minorities and indigenous peoples elsewhere are also welcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Session Format: <em>Standard paper presentation<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Organiser(s)\/Chair(s):<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lars Laird Iversen<br><a href=\"mailto:lars.l.iversen@mf.no\">lars.l.iversen@mf.no<\/a><br>Nordic Association for the Sociology of Religion &#8211; MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session 20a: Wednesday 12 August | 15:00\u201316:30&nbsp;at Fiesta (B205)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Using indigenous methodology in studying S\u00e1mi identity and cultural heritage: A critical reflection<\/strong><br>Karin J\u00e4rnkvist (Mid Sweden University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Minoritisation, Lived Religion, and Methodological Responsibility: Research with National Minorities in the Church of Sweden<\/strong><br>Anoo Niskanen (\u00c5bo Akademi)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Reconciliation and\/as Performativity<\/strong><br>Carsten Schuerhoff (KIFO \u2013 Institute for Church, Religion, and Worldview Research)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session 20b: Thursday 13 August | 09:00\u201310:30 at Fiesta (B205)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The revitalization of the Sami languages through podcasts \u2013 an exploration of how Sami podcasters speak about everyday life in Norway<\/strong><br>Netta Marie R\u00f8nningen (KIFO \u2013 Institute for Church, Religion, and Worldview Research)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Centrality of Land in S\u00e1mi Existential Meaning-making<\/strong><br>Cecilia Viberg (Mid Sweden University)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-pane kt-accordion-pane kt-accordion-pane-22 kt-pane1098_20ab3c-aa\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-header-wrap\"><button class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-header kt-acccordion-button-label-show\" type=\"button\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title-wrap\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title\">21. Addressing&nbsp;Challenges and Epistemic Dissonance in Research with Vulnerable and Hard-to-Reach Populations<\/span><\/span><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger\"><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel kt-accordion-panel-hidden\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel-inner\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Research with indigenous people in the Nordic countries and elsewhere has brought important substantive findings. Research on religion and worldviews has disproportionately centered populations from Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich and Developed (WEIRD) countries, creating significant gaps in our understanding of marginalized communities. As societies become increasingly diverse \u2014culturally, linguistically, and in terms of worldviews \u2014 but also as a result of growing socio-economic differences, empirical research is required that challenges this bias. However, moving beyond WEIRD-centric approaches requires more than acknowledging geographic or cultural categories; it demands critical reflection on how our methodological choices, ethical frameworks, and researcher positionalities shape knowledge production and whose voices remain heard or silenced.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In two sessions, we examine the methodological, epistemological, and ethical complexities of conducting research with vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations.&nbsp;We&nbsp;encourage&nbsp;explorations of&nbsp;how researchers navigate multiple tensions: building trust across&nbsp;perceived&nbsp;differences while maintaining ethical rigor; ensuring voluntary participation and safeguarding privacy in contexts where legal frameworks like GDPR and national ethical legislation serve simultaneously as protections and obstacles; and developing sustainable, valid, and reliable methods that genuinely&nbsp;center&nbsp;marginalized experiences rather than&nbsp;reproducing academic hegemonies throughout research projects.&nbsp;Key questions guide our&nbsp;focus in these sessions: How do we define and sample&nbsp;non-WEIRD&nbsp;populations without reinforcing their marginalization?&nbsp;What can a&nbsp;common epistemic horizon&nbsp;between research and participant refer to?&nbsp;&nbsp;What does &#8220;safety&#8221; mean for both participants and researchers in diverse fieldwork contexts? How can research practices embody decolonial principles in preparation and practice, moving beyond performative gestures toward substantive engagement with community knowledge and priorities?&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Through examining concrete empirical research, fieldwork experiences, and collaborative approaches, this session addresses the epistemic dissonance that arises when academic research paradigms encounter complex, intersectional realities, risking failure in validity.&nbsp;The session includes presentations&nbsp;drawing on experiences from the RelEx project on religion and social exclusion&nbsp;at \u00c5bo Akademi University, but also invites presentations engaging directly with these complex issues.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Session Format: <em>Standard paper presentation<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Organiser(s)\/Chair(s):<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Peter Nyn\u00e4s<br><a href=\"mailto:peter.nynas@abo.fi\">peter.nynas@abo.fi<\/a><br>\u00c5bo Akademi University<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Thursday 13 August | 09:00\u201310:30&nbsp;at Saussure (M128)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Collaborative Research with Marginalized Communities: Ethical Tensions, Reciprocity, and Responsibility<\/strong><br>Linda Annunen (\u00c5bo Akademi University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Navigating Access and Knowledge-Generating Relations<\/strong><br>Ali Ali (\u00c5bo Akademi University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Research on Religion and Social Exclusion among Young S\u00e1mi in Finland: Methodological and Ethical Reflections<\/strong><br>Karoliina Dahl (\u00c5bo Akademi University)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-pane kt-accordion-pane kt-accordion-pane-23 kt-pane1098_aff086-10\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-header-wrap\"><button class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-header kt-acccordion-button-label-show\" type=\"button\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title-wrap\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title\">22. Exploring&nbsp;the&nbsp;Contested&nbsp;Constructions&nbsp;of&nbsp;Sense&nbsp;of&nbsp;Safety&nbsp;in&nbsp;Religious&nbsp;Spaces<\/span><\/span><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger\"><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel kt-accordion-panel-hidden\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel-inner\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The sense of safety is an essential foundation for human flourishing and well-being in individuals, communities, and in societies. However, social, political, and health-related global transformations, and polarization have eroded deeply not only safety but our sense of safety. Religious spaces have a huge potential for creating embodied sense of safety \u2013 but also tensions and unsecurity. Thus they form an intriguing context to explore the foundations of sense of safety. Religious embodied social spaces have symbolic weight, and combine layers of emotional regimes (Riis &amp; Woodhead 2011), thus making the contestations related to them observable in physical realities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This session invites contributions that examine how sense of safety is constructed, negotiated, and contested in and around religious spaces. We welcome empirical studies, theoretical explorations, and methodological innovations that address questions such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How do different actors (worshippers, religious authorities, state institutions, communities) construct competing or overlapping notions of safety in religious spaces?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How do religious spaces navigate tensions between openness and security, hospitality and boundary-maintenance etc.?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In what ways do intersecting identities (gender, ethnicity, sexuality, disability) shape experiences of safety and belonging in religious contexts?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We particularly encourage papers that employ novel methodological approaches, and those that explore underexamined contexts or religious traditions.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Session Format: <em>Standard paper presentation<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Organiser(s)\/Chair(s):<\/h5>\n\n\n<style>.kb-table-container1098_2eee4f-20{overflow-x:auto;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_2eee4f-20 th{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);text-align:center;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_2eee4f-20 caption{text-align:center;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_2eee4f-20 td{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);text-align:left;}<\/style><div class=\"kb-table-container kb-table-container1098_2eee4f-20 wp-block-kadence-table\"><table class=\"kb-table kb-table1098_2eee4f-20\">\n<tr class=\"kb-table-row kb-table-row1098_01912f-6f\">\n<td  class=\"kb-table-data kb-table-data1098_cde947-12\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Henrietta Gr\u00f6nlund<br><a href=\"mailto:henrietta.gronlund@helsinki.fi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">henrietta.gronlund@helsinki.fi<\/a><br>University of Helsinki<\/p>\n\n<\/td>\n\n<td  class=\"kb-table-data kb-table-data1098_671223-3e\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jenni Sp\u00e4nn\u00e4ri<br><a href=\"mailto:jenni.spannari@helsinki.fi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">jenni.spannari@helsinki.fi<\/a><br>University of Helsinki<\/p>\n\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table><\/div>\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Thursday 13 August | 15:30\u201317:00&nbsp;at Camera Obscura (E201)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Speaking the Unspeakable: Mysticism as a Heuristic Model for Affect Research&nbsp;<\/strong><br>Teemu Pauha (University of Helsinki)<br>Ritva Palm\u00e9n (University of Helsinki)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Blueprints of and on Contested Spaces: Developing a methodological tool for exploring sense of safety in religious spaces<\/strong><br>Jenni Sp\u00e4nn\u00e4ri (University of Helsinki)<br>Anne Birgitta Pessi (University of Helsinki)<br>Henrietta Gr\u00f6nlund (University of Helsinki)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Patterns of Threats and Safety Concerns Among Religious Communities in Sweden<\/strong><br>Linnea Lundgren (Institution for Religion and Civil Society, Sweden)<br>Sara Fransson (Institution for Religion and Civil Society, Sweden)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Sense of Safety and Unsafety in Christian, Jewish and Islamic Spaces<\/strong><br>Rosa Huotari (University of Helsinki)<br>Ruth Illman (Svenska Literatursk\u00e4llskapet i Finland)<br>Teemu Pauha (University of Helsinki)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-pane kt-accordion-pane kt-accordion-pane-24 kt-pane1098_ecbbe5-52\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-header-wrap\"><button class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-header kt-acccordion-button-label-show\" type=\"button\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title-wrap\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title\">23. General Session<\/span><\/span><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger\"><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel kt-accordion-panel-hidden\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel-inner\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"margin: 0px;padding: 0px\">This general session allows for all themes relevant to the conference&#8217;s main theme,&nbsp;<em>Research Approaches, Design and Methodology in the Sociology of Religion: Centering the Marginalized, Vulnerable and Socially Exclu<\/em><\/span>ded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">General session 1: Reflexivity, Responsibility, and Resonance in the Study of Religion<br>Thursday 13 August | 13:30\u201315:00 at Westermarck (C101)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Chair: Helmi Halonen (University of Helsinki)<\/h6>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>\u201cInteresting, yet very disturbing\u201d: Methodological adaptations in distressing research in the sociology of religion&nbsp;<\/strong><br>Helmi Halonen (University of Helsinki)<br>Pasqualina Eckerstr\u00f6m (University of Helsinki \/ University of Turku)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Holistic resonance versus scientific reason&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/strong><br>Peter B. Andersen (University of Copenhagen)<br>Astrid Krabbe Trolle (University of Copenhagen)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">General session 2: Religion, Digital Media, and Technology<br>Wednesday 12 August | 15:00\u201316:30 at Saussure (M128)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Chair: Tuomas \u00c4yst\u00f6 (University of Helsinki)<\/h6>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Digital Religious Creatives in Swedish Free Churches&nbsp;<\/strong><br>Julia Kuhlin (Linnaeus University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>\u201cDoes Elon Musk have religion?\u201d Thinking about our thinking on religion and technology<\/strong><br>Tuomas \u00c4yst\u00f6 (University of Helsinki)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">General session 3: Gender, Embodiment, and Intersectionality<br>Friday 14 August | 09:00\u201310:30 at Voltaire (M127)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Chair: Ella Poutiainen(\u00c5bo Akademi University)<\/h6>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Intersectionality in sociological research on religion: genealogies, usages and opportunities<\/strong><br>Line Nyhagen (Loughborough University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Trans and nonbinary in\/visibility in Finnish yoga<\/strong><br>Ella Poutiainen (\u00c5bo Akademi University)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Closed Sessions<\/h2>\n\n\n<style>.kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae .kt-accordion-inner-wrap{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-md, 2rem);row-gap:10px;}.kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae .kt-accordion-panel-inner{border-top:0px solid transparent;border-right:0px solid transparent;border-bottom:0px solid transparent;border-left:0px solid transparent;background:#ffffff;padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);}.kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap > .kt-blocks-accordion-header{border-top:0px solid #f2f2f2;border-right:0px solid #f2f2f2;border-bottom:0px solid #f2f2f2;border-left:0px solid #f2f2f2;border-top-left-radius:6px;border-top-right-radius:6px;border-bottom-right-radius:6px;border-bottom-left-radius:6px;background:#f2f2f2;color:#555555;padding-top:14px;padding-right:16px;padding-bottom:14px;padding-left:16px;}.kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basiccircle ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclosecircle ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrowcircle )  > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:after, .kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basiccircle ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclosecircle ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrowcircle )  > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:before{background:#555555;}.kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basic ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclose ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrow ) .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger{background:#555555;}.kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basic ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclose ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrow ) .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:after, .kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basic ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclose ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrow ) .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:before{background:#f2f2f2;}.kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap > .kt-blocks-accordion-header:hover, \n\t\t\t\tbody:not(.hide-focus-outline) .kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae 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.kt-blocks-accordion--visible .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:after, body:not(.hide-focus-outline) .kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basiccircle ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclosecircle ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrowcircle ) .kt-blocks-accordion-header:focus-visible .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:before{background:#444444;}.kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basic ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclose ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrow ) .kt-accordion-header-wrap .kt-blocks-accordion-header:hover .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger, body:not(.hide-focus-outline) .kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basic ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclose ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrow ) .kt-accordion-header-wrap .kt-blocks-accordion-header:focus-visible .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger{background:#444444;}.kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basic ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclose ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrow ) .kt-accordion-header-wrap .kt-blocks-accordion-header:hover .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:after, .kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basic ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclose ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrow ) .kt-accordion-header-wrap .kt-blocks-accordion-header:hover .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:before, body:not(.hide-focus-outline) .kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basic ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclose ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrow ) .kt-accordion-header-wrap .kt-blocks-accordion-header:focus-visible .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:after, body:not(.hide-focus-outline) .kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basic ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclose ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrow ) .kt-accordion-header-wrap .kt-blocks-accordion-header:focus-visible .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:before{background:#eeeeee;}.kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae .kt-accordion-header-wrap .kt-blocks-accordion-header:focus-visible,\n\t\t\t\t.kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap > .kt-blocks-accordion-header.kt-accordion-panel-active{color:#ffffff;background:#BE530B;border-top-color:#BE530B;border-top-style:solid;border-right-color:#BE530B;border-right-style:solid;border-bottom-color:#BE530B;border-bottom-style:solid;border-left-color:#BE530B;border-left-style:solid;}.kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basiccircle ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclosecircle ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrowcircle )  > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap > .kt-blocks-accordion-header.kt-accordion-panel-active .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:after, .kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basiccircle ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclosecircle ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrowcircle )  > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap > .kt-blocks-accordion-header.kt-accordion-panel-active .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:before{background:#ffffff;}.kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basic ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclose ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrow ) .kt-blocks-accordion-header.kt-accordion-panel-active .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger{background:#ffffff;}.kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basic ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclose ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrow ) .kt-blocks-accordion-header.kt-accordion-panel-active .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:after, .kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basic ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclose ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrow ) .kt-blocks-accordion-header.kt-accordion-panel-active .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:before{background:#BE530B;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae .kt-accordion-panel-inner{border-top:0px solid transparent;border-right:0px solid transparent;border-bottom:0px solid transparent;border-left:0px solid transparent;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap > .kt-blocks-accordion-header{border-top:0px solid #f2f2f2;border-right:0px solid #f2f2f2;border-bottom:0px solid #f2f2f2;border-left:0px solid #f2f2f2;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap > .kt-blocks-accordion-header:hover, \n\t\t\t\tbody:not(.hide-focus-outline) .kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae .kt-blocks-accordion-header:focus-visible{border-top-color:#eeeeee;border-top-style:solid;border-right-color:#eeeeee;border-right-style:solid;border-bottom-color:#eeeeee;border-bottom-style:solid;border-left-color:#eeeeee;border-left-style:solid;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae .kt-accordion-header-wrap .kt-blocks-accordion-header:focus-visible,\n\t\t\t\t.kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap > .kt-blocks-accordion-header.kt-accordion-panel-active{border-top-color:#BE530B;border-top-style:solid;border-right-color:#BE530B;border-right-style:solid;border-bottom-color:#BE530B;border-bottom-style:solid;border-left-color:#BE530B;border-left-style:solid;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae .kt-accordion-inner-wrap{display:block;}.kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae .kt-accordion-inner-wrap .kt-accordion-pane:not(:first-child){margin-top:10px;}.kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae .kt-accordion-panel-inner{border-top:0px solid transparent;border-right:0px solid transparent;border-bottom:0px solid transparent;border-left:0px solid transparent;}.kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap > .kt-blocks-accordion-header{border-top:0px solid #f2f2f2;border-right:0px solid #f2f2f2;border-bottom:0px solid #f2f2f2;border-left:0px solid #f2f2f2;}.kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap > .kt-blocks-accordion-header:hover, \n\t\t\t\tbody:not(.hide-focus-outline) .kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae .kt-blocks-accordion-header:focus-visible{border-top-color:#eeeeee;border-top-style:solid;border-right-color:#eeeeee;border-right-style:solid;border-bottom-color:#eeeeee;border-bottom-style:solid;border-left-color:#eeeeee;border-left-style:solid;}.kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae .kt-accordion-header-wrap .kt-blocks-accordion-header:focus-visible,\n\t\t\t\t.kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap > .kt-blocks-accordion-header.kt-accordion-panel-active{border-top-color:#BE530B;border-top-style:solid;border-right-color:#BE530B;border-right-style:solid;border-bottom-color:#BE530B;border-bottom-style:solid;border-left-color:#BE530B;border-left-style:solid;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-accordion alignnone\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-wrap kt-accordion-id1098_291c8a-ae kt-accordion-has-3-panes kt-active-pane-0 kt-accordion-block kt-pane-header-alignment-left kt-accodion-icon-style-basic kt-accodion-icon-side-right\" style=\"max-width:none\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-inner-wrap\" data-allow-multiple-open=\"false\" data-start-open=\"none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-pane kt-accordion-pane kt-accordion-pane-1 kt-pane1098_1c5201-a2\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-header-wrap\"><button class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-header kt-acccordion-button-label-show\" type=\"button\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title-wrap\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title\">1.&nbsp;Sacred Voices and Popular Sounds: Exploring the Interplay of Religion and Popular Music Across Genres and Regions&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger\"><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel kt-accordion-panel-hidden\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel-inner\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This session aims to present the book Sacred Voices and Popular Sounds: Exploring the Interplay of Religion and Popular Music Across Genres and Regions, edited by Sabina Bodin&nbsp;Hadzibulic&nbsp;(Springer 2026). The book makes a substantial contribution to the study of religion and popular music by presenting an interdisciplinary collection that explores the interplay between religion and popular music across various traditions,&nbsp;genres&nbsp;and regions. It approaches the topic from two complementary perspectives: religion in popular music and popular music in the context of religion. The premise is that this interplay is rich, diverse, complex, multifaceted, and often surprising, encompassing opposition, adaptation, and deep integration across genres and cultures. Therefore, the aim is to&nbsp;identify&nbsp;and analyse a wide range of cases regardless of cultural, religious, and geographical background, exploring dimensions such as experience, practice, agency, emotion, materiality, relation, and spatiality.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the session, the book editor, along with several book contributors, will discuss the book and present their contributions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Session Format: <em>Standard paper presentation<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Organiser(s)\/Chair(s):<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sabina Bodin&nbsp;Hadzibulic<br><a href=\"mailto:shz@du.se\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">shz@du.se<\/a><br>Dalarna University<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Thursday 13 August | 15:30\u201317:00&nbsp;at Voltaire (M127)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Sacred Voices and Popular Sounds: Exploring the Interplay of Religion and Popular Music Across Genres and Regions<\/strong><br>Sabina Bodin&nbsp;Hadzibulic&nbsp;(Dalarna University, Sweden)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>\u201cHomosexual armies are coming!\u201d: K-pop as a Flashpoint for Moral and Political Contestation in Erdo\u011fan\u2019s \u2018Yeni T\u00fcrkiye\u2019<\/strong><br>Andreas&nbsp;Ackfeldt (Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul, Turkey)<br>Douglas Mattsson (Malm\u00f6 University, Sweden)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Academic Trajectory of Religion and Metal Music: From Moral Panic to Global Engagement<\/strong><br>Pasqualina Ekstr\u00f6m (University of Helsinki, University of Turku, Finland)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Church on a Disc: Rock Masses on CDs in Finland and Sweden&nbsp;at the Turn of the Millennium<\/strong><br>Andreas H\u00e4ger (\u00c5bo Akademi University)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-pane kt-accordion-pane kt-accordion-pane-2 kt-pane1098_1e3195-8f\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-header-wrap\"><button class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-header kt-acccordion-button-label-show\" type=\"button\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title-wrap\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title\">2.&nbsp;Banal (Non)Religion: Secular Imaginaries in Nordic Pop Culture&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger\"><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel kt-accordion-panel-hidden\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel-inner\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This session would close out the 3-year&nbsp;NordForsk&nbsp;funded project Banal (Non)Religion: Secular Imaginaries in Contemporary Pop-Culture. The project aimed to study the so called \u201cfuzzy middle\u201d (Voas&nbsp;2009), which is notoriously difficult to capture in surveys, and thus set out to explore new ways of approaching and understanding secular worldviews and how they are transmitted. Thus, we started with an acknowledgement of secularism as a normative position, which meant an approach to the \u201csecular\u201d as a distinct imaginary, as opposed to denoting the lack of, or indifference towards, religion. Moreover, as an ideological movement we contend that secularism is not solely present in governance but also \u201cin public discourse, media practices and importantly, in the sphere of everyday life\u201d (Burchardt et al. 2015, 5). Following Lori Beaman\u2019s call for methodological innovation (Beaman 2017) in studying non-religion, the project has aimed to approach the secular imaginary from the side, in ways that acknowledges the messy, lived, evolving nature of this imaginary. The session will cover&nbsp;different aspects&nbsp;of the project, such as reflection on definitions and commonly used theories applied to \u201cfuzzy populations,\u201d and how&nbsp;this impacts&nbsp;on methodological choices, the ways on which contemporary discourses are negotiated through popular culture, and how the secular imaginary is reflected there.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Session Format: <em>Standard paper presentation<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Organiser(s)\/Chair(s):<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Evelina Lundmark<br><a href=\"mailto:evelina.lundmark@teol.uu.se\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">evelina.lundmark@teol.uu.se<\/a><br>Uppsala University<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Thursday 13 August | 15:30\u201317:00&nbsp;at Saussure (M128)&nbsp;<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Operationalizing Non-Religion: The Place of Magic,&nbsp;Superstition&nbsp;and Irrational Beliefs in Defining and Studying Non-Religion&nbsp;<\/strong><br>Evelina Lundmark (Uppsala University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Framing Post-Mortem Relations: Death,&nbsp;Loss&nbsp;and Continuing Bonds in Contemporary Swedish Films&nbsp;<\/strong><br>Sofia Sj\u00f6 (Donner Institute)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Negotiating Religion and Secularity through&nbsp;Humor: Young Adults\u2019 Responses to Memes in Nordic Cultural Contexts&nbsp;<\/strong><br>David Herbert (Bergen University)<br>Patrycja Pankau (Bergen University)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-pane kt-accordion-pane kt-accordion-pane-3 kt-pane1098_a87898-a9\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-header-wrap\"><button class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-header kt-acccordion-button-label-show\" type=\"button\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title-wrap\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title\">3.&nbsp;Elderly Women\u2019s Voluntary Work: A Mixed-Method Study of a Marginalized Majority&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger\"><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel kt-accordion-panel-hidden\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel-inner\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Women in the post-world war generation represent a key group in&nbsp;maintaining&nbsp;social and humanitarian voluntary work in Swedish society. Women born 1940\u201355 are overrepresented among those who carry out such work&nbsp;in particular in&nbsp;religious and social-humanitarian organisations. Yet, research that specifically targets their values, motivations and how these become implemented in practical work is scarce in Nordic sociology of religion. In this regard, these women&nbsp;represent&nbsp;a particular case of a marginalized group, which has been left aside or taken for granted in research even though they make up&nbsp;the majority of&nbsp;participants in most religious and voluntary organisations. This session present ongoing research within the Swedish project Elderly women\u2019s voluntary work: a mixed methods study of resources,&nbsp;values&nbsp;and practices in religious and social-humanitarian organisations. The&nbsp;aims&nbsp;of this project is, firstly, to provide new empirical knowledge&nbsp;regarding&nbsp;resources, values and practices that shape the voluntary work of women born around 1940\u20131955 in Sweden. This will be reached through combining a survey&nbsp;comprising&nbsp;responses from 2000 Swedish men and women, and three case studies using interviews and observations in Church of Sweden, an ecumenical organisation, and the Red Cross in&nbsp;different locations&nbsp;across the country. The second aim is to develop theories and methods for studying the significance of religion in motivating voluntary work, through combining theories of social and religious capital and on lived religion as social practice.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The session presents early findings from the project. It consists of three papers and a respondent who will comment on the findings and&nbsp;initiate&nbsp;a joint discussion on issues concerning research design and the use of mixed methods in studies of underrepresented groups within religious majority populations. Professor Abby Day or Nancy Ammerman, who are part of the project\u2019s advisory board, will be invited to respond to the papers if the session is accepted.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Session Format: <em>Standard paper presentation<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-table-container1098_b9a3b9-c1{overflow-x:auto;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_b9a3b9-c1 th{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);text-align:center;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_b9a3b9-c1 caption{text-align:center;}.kb-table-container .kb-table1098_b9a3b9-c1 td{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);text-align:left;}<\/style><div class=\"kb-table-container kb-table-container1098_b9a3b9-c1 wp-block-kadence-table\"><table class=\"kb-table kb-table1098_b9a3b9-c1\">\n<tr class=\"kb-table-row kb-table-row1098_6f4809-2b\">\n<td  class=\"kb-table-data kb-table-data1098_4b26aa-8e\">\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Organiser(s)\/Chair(s):<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mia&nbsp;L\u00f6vheim<br><a href=\"mailto:mia.lovheim@teol.uu.se\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">mia.lovheim@teol.uu.se<\/a><br>Department of Theology, Uppsala University&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<\/td>\n\n<td  class=\"kb-table-data kb-table-data1098_475690-2d\">\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong>Invited response:<\/strong><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anne Birgitta Pessi<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">University of Helsinki<\/p>\n\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table><\/div>\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Thursday 13 August | 13:30\u201315:00&nbsp;at Saussure (M128)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Elderly women\u2019s voluntary work: introducing the project\u2019s aim, questions and research design.<\/strong><br>Mia L\u00f6vheim (Uppsala University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The importance of religious and social capital amongst women breaking gender norms in voluntary work<\/strong><br>Sara Fransson (Church of Sweden Unit of research and analysis)<br>Charlotte Linzatti (Uppsala University)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Doing, Feeling and Being Good: Exploring lived religion in older women\u2019s voluntary work<\/strong><br>Martha Middlemiss L\u00e9Mon (Uppsala University)<br>Charlotte Linzatti (Uppsala University)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NCSR 2026 Sessions Open Sessions This page provides an overview of the conference sessions and presentations. For the full presentation abstracts, please see the NCSR 2026 Abstract Book. Closed Sessions<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":1219,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"narrow","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1098","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"lang":"en","translations":{"en":1098},"taxonomy_info":[],"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/sites.abo.fi\/ncsr2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/25\/2025\/12\/NCSR2026-Email-Header-1024x341.jpeg",1024,341,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"isabry","author_link":"https:\/\/sites.abo.fi\/ncsr2026\/author\/3\/"},"comment_info":0,"pll_sync_post":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.abo.fi\/ncsr2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1098","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.abo.fi\/ncsr2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.abo.fi\/ncsr2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.abo.fi\/ncsr2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.abo.fi\/ncsr2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1098"}],"version-history":[{"count":124,"href":"https:\/\/sites.abo.fi\/ncsr2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1098\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1904,"href":"https:\/\/sites.abo.fi\/ncsr2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1098\/revisions\/1904"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.abo.fi\/ncsr2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1219"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.abo.fi\/ncsr2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1098"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}