Places of Worship: Their Cultural and Social Significance

Interdisciplinary Symposium 18–19 November 2026

Humlab, Umeå University, Sweden

Welcome to Umeå for a symposium on places of worship throughout history. Although the primary focus is on sites associated with institutionalised religion in the Nordic countries, the workshop welcomes other cases and interpretations.

The symposium seeks to explore the cultural and societal significance of places of worship from a comparative and interdisciplinary perspective. We invite contributions that examine these spaces across regions, nations, and historical periods.

Deadline for abstract: 30 April.

Click here for full call for papers 

Organisers

Stefan Gelfgren, co-ordinator of the Nordic Places of Worship Project (NordPoW)

Daniel Lindmark, co-ordinator of the Religious History of the North Network (REHN)

Questions?

Please email Stefan Gelfgren, stefan.gelfgren@umu.se