Research Institute for Religion and Society
A new research institute named Religion and Society Research Institute started its operation at UPS. The aim of the new institute is to conduct research on the societal and political role of religions and disseminate its findings to a broad audience including the members of the national and international academic sphere and the members of the public.
This topic is of particular importance in the light of the trend that has emerged in recent years, according to which the importance of religions in public life is not diminishing, religion is not becoming a "private matter", and the functioning of modern states cannot be examined without taking into account religious traditions, communities and values. At the same time, it has become clear that the Western world cannot be characterised as a kind of ideological vacuum, but on the contrary there is a contest between wide varieties of different belief systems.
The planned research will focus on the social doctrine of the Christian churches and the Christian roots of the West, as well as on the global engagement of other world religions, the Islam and some Asian religious traditions. The issue of persecution and discrimination on the basis of religious belief will also be an important area, as will the analysis of the relationship between religions and rival secular belief systems.
Head of the Institute
Dr. Lóránd Ujházi
Administrator
Bernadett Golaritsné Richter
Golaritsne.Richter.Bernadett@uni.nke.hu