Theology has traditionally focused on questions in various ways related to God, humanity, and the world. As an academic discipline, it dates back to the birth of the university. In today's world, theological research and critical examination of the thoughts, praxis, and institutions of religious traditions, including the dialogue between different churches and religions, play an important role in the interpretation of beliefs and religious texts in the context of modernity and postmodernity.
Theological research at Umeå University is conducted with a focus on Christian tradition. The research that takes place in the field today is multifaceted and involves several different specialisations. Theologians use historical, linguistic, hermeneutic, empirical, philosophical and systematic methods to address research problems that can be of very different kinds. Theological study can be about everything from the Bible, church history and church praxis, to questions about religious truth claims and the relationship between religious ideas and contemporary culture.
At Umeå University, theological research is characterised by an awareness of the existential, cultural and intellectual relevance of religious texts, ideas, and institutions today, a willingness to critically respond to ideas and practices in the Christian tradition, and an openness to constructive and creative interpretation in relation to the present.
In Umeå, theological research is conducted within different specialisations, namely Biblical Studies, Systematic Theology, and Historical and Practical Theology. These specialisations have their own methods, but sometimes converge on common research areas, which are thus illuminated from different perspectives. Theology, as a field of research, can therefore be seen as an integrated whole, the sum of which is greater than its parts.
Biblical Studies
Current research in Biblical Studies at Umeå University ranges from the historical origins of biblical texts to the ways in which the Bible is used in society today. We share the interest that biblical scholarship has long had in original meanings and functions of biblical texts, and also significantly extend our focus beyond that to include the social world of biblical authors and readers, rituals and other practices, as well as social formations. In this, we do not assume that the Bible is an authoritative text, but rather explore the dynamics that ascribe authority, meaning, and legitimacy to what is conceived as ‘biblical’.
Our specializations include Pauline Studies, Hellenistic Judaism, gender and sexuality, constructions of identity, political uses of the Bible, ancient and contemporary translation, and the cognitive and evolutionary science of religion. We have established collaborations with Humlab and the Umeå Centre for Gender Studies and aim to connect our work as broadly as possible to a multidisciplinary context.
Systematic Theology
Systematic Theology studies Christian beliefs and doctrines, especially regarding their meaning, interpretation, and internal coherence. Also, Systematic Theology investigates the sources of Christian doctrines of faith as well as the relationship between Christian doctrines and other cultural phenomena, such as contemporary science and philosophy. At Umeå University, Systematic Theology considers Philosophy of religion and Theological Ethics parts of its field.
Philosophy of religion examines the truth claims of religions. Examples of questions analyzed within the field of Philosophy of religion are those pertaining to God’s existence, the problem of evil, and the relationship between faith and reason. Theological Ethics studies ethical and metaethical questions, with particular focus on their relationship to theological and other worldview-related convictions and contexts.
Historical and Practical Theology
Historical and Practical Theology consists of a historical and a practical theological part. Historical Theology includes Church History, which deals with the historical forms of expression and the significance of the churches in different social structures at different times and epochs, and History of theology, which deals with the content of theology in certain historical periods.
In Practical Theology, ecclesiological problem complexes in history and in the present are analysed. The subject addresses the tension between theory and praxis in church and society and contributes to critical theological reflection by means of a rich arsenal of theoretical and methodological tools. Practical Theology includes disciplines such as Ecclesiology, Liturgical Studies, Homiletics, Pastoral Care and Religious Education.
In the subject of theology, collaboration and outreach activities are seen as an important part of the work. The faculty communicate their research to the general public and to various organisations through many different channels and in cooperation with different actors. Lectures, symposia and seminars are organised frequently, and research results are presented in various written, speech-based, and image-based media.
See current publications in religious studies and theology.
See current research projects in religious studies and theology.
Learn more about the seminar series and upcoming events (in Swedish).
