How could a jar of potato salad ultimately result in 15,345 lives being saved from the Nazi death machine at the very end of the Second World War? On the 25th of April, 2023, the departments of History and CTR organized an event under the rubric "A Jar of Potato Salad Can Save lives: The Legacy of the White Bus Rescue Actions in March-May 1945." Two invited guest-presenters, Richard Ohlsson (President, Better Futures Foundation), Roger A. Ritvo (Distinguished Professor, Auburn University, Montgomery), took a closer look at these so called "White Bus rescue." Organized by Count Folke Bernadotte with the agreement of Heinrich Himmler, the White Bus rescue had little to do with ‘winning the war,” but remains one of the largest humanitarian efforts in history. The Swedish Red Cross applied the principles of human rights in an era when these were trampled by power, delusional dreams of conquest, and inhumanity. Inspired by these events, Richard Ohlsson founded the Better Futures Foundation to carry on this legacy of courage by ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. Roger Ritvo's recent research highlighted some of those rescued and how they went on to make major contributions to politics, the arts, business, and other humanitarian programs. For a video-recording of this occasion, see https://youtu.be/4-f8z95eMpY ---------------------------------------------- Music for the R&T is generously provided by the Nous ---------------------------------------------- Religion and Theology is produced by Joel Kuhlin for the Center for Theology and Religious Studies. If you have comments or critique of this episode, or any other episodes of R&T, please contact us via the podcast's twitteraccount: @reloteol.

In this episode of R&T, CTR-researcher in Philosophy of Religion, Aaron Goldman, gives a talk entitled "Investigating QAnon as a Quasi-Religious Movement - Donald Trump as a Religious Hero", recorded from the annual "HT-dagarna" or Humanities and Theology days at the Joint Faculties. With reference to classic theories of myth and religion, Goldman investigate QAnon – a decentralized right-wing conspiracy movement which emerged in the United States during Donald Trump’s presidency – as a quasi-religious response to Trump’s irruption into American political discourse. Further, Goldman hypothesize that a confluence of factors pertinent to the American cultural landscape generated conditions for a cult – merging the horizons of the religious and political – to coalesce around Trump as a religious hero figure. ---------------------------------------------- Music for the R&T is generously provided by the Nous ---------------------------------------------- Religion and Theology is produced by Joel Kuhlin for the Center for Theology and Religious Studies. If you have comments or critique of this episode, or any other episodes of R&T, please contact us via the podcast's twitteraccount: @reloteol.

In this episode, Professor Yonatan Adler (Ariel University) summarizes the findings of his latest book, "The Origins of Judaism—An Archaeological-Historical Reappraisal," presentin archaeological discoveries and ancient texts which may revolutionize our understanding of the beginnings of Judaism. ---------------------------------------------- Religion and Theology is produced by Joel Kuhlin for the Center for Theology and Religious Studies. If you have comments or critique of this episode, or any other episodes of R&T, please contact us via the podcast's twitteraccount: @reloteol.

In the eighteenth part of the conversations series, we ask: "How has the relationship between religion, populism, and right-wing identity politics evolved in recent years, and what are the key factors driving this change? How secularization, globalization, individualization, and rapid ethnic change have acted as demand-side developments, leading to the formation of this identity cleavages between cosmopolitans and communitarians?" In this episode, we meet with Dr. Tobias Cremer to discuss his book “The Godless Crusade Religion, Populism and Right-Wing Identity Politics in the West.” Cremer postulates that the rise of right-wing populism in the West and its references to religion are less driven by a resurgence of religious fervor, than by the emergence of a new secular identity politics. Based on exclusive interviews with 116 populist leaders, key policy makers and faith leaders in the USA, Germany, and France, Cremer shows how right-wing populists use Christianity as a cultural identity marker of the 'pure people' against external 'others' while often remaining disconnected from Christian values, beliefs, and institutions. However, right-wing populists' willingness and ability to employ religion in this way critically depends on the actions of mainstream party politicians and faith leaders. They can either legitimize right-wing populists' identitarian use of religion or challenge it, thereby cultivating 'religious immunity' against populist appeals. As the populist wave breaks across the West, a new debate about the role of religion in society has begun. ---------------------------------------------- Music for the Conversation Series is generously provided by the Shavnabada Choir . The project author and the host of the Conversation Series is Dr. Tornike Metreveli. ---------------------------------------------- Religion and Theology is produced by Joel Kuhlin for the Center for Theology and Religious Studies. If you have comments or critique of this episode, or any other episodes of R&T, please contact us via the podcast's twitteraccount: @reloteol.

I detta avsnitt får vi den sista delen i en kort serie av fördrag & samtal, arrangerade fredagen den 31 mars, mellan tidskriften "Signum" och Centrum för teologi och religionsvetenskap vid Lunds universitet. Föredraget "Blaise Pascal – fortfarande aktuell jubilar" framfördes av Svante Nordin, professor i idé- och lärdomshistoria. ---------------------------------------------- "Religion och Teologi" produceras av Joel Kuhlin, för Centrum för Teologi & Religionsvetenskap. För kritik eller kommentarer till avsnittet, skriv gärna en rad till religionochteologi@outlook.com, eller på Twitter till @reloteol. ---------------------------------------------- Särskilt tack till gruppen Nous för musiken.

Efter Ulf Jonssons inledande föredrag, från förra avsnittet, där nyutkomna boken Gud och andra orsaker. Hur en ny teori om orsak och verkan kan förändra vår världsbild (Fri Tanke förlag) presenterades, introducerar detta avsnitt ett panelsamtal, av moderator Stephan Borgehammar, med Jakob Löndahl, universitetslektor i aerosolteknologi Svante Nordin, professor i idé- och lärdomshistoria Johannes Persson, professor i teoretisk filosofi Ulf Jonsson, professor i religionsfilosofi ---------------------------------------------- "Religion och Teologi" produceras av Joel Kuhlin, för Centrum för Teologi & Religionsvetenskap. För kritik eller kommentarer till avsnittet, skriv gärna en rad till religionochteologi@outlook.com, eller på Twitter till @reloteol. ---------------------------------------------- Särskilt tack till gruppen Nous för musiken.

Detta är ett inledande avsnitt i en kort serie avsnitt, med utgångspunkt från Ulf Jonsson, professor i religionsfilosofi vid Newmaninstitutet (Uppsala), som presenterar sin nyutkomna bok (Fri Tanke förlag) Gud och andra orsaker. Hur en ny teori om orsak och verkan kan förändra vår världsbild. I efterföljande avsnitt återfinns även ett panelsamtal samt ett föredrag om Pascal av professor emeritus i idé & lärdomshistoria vid Lunds universitet: Svante Nordin. Innehåll för avsnitt ett & två i denna serie går även att se på vår youtubekanal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZAT-5fkXsM&ab_channel=Religion%26Teologi ---------------------------------------------- "Religion och Teologi" produceras av Joel Kuhlin, för Centrum för Teologi & Religionsvetenskap. För kritik eller kommentarer till avsnittet, skriv gärna en rad till religionochteologi@outlook.com, eller på Twitter till @reloteol. ---------------------------------------------- Särskilt tack till gruppen Nous för musiken.

This is the seventeenth episode of the Religion in Praxis Conversations Series, and we here ask: "Have a group of citizens can come together to create change and challenge the status quo?" The 2013-14 Euromaidan protests in Ukraine serve as a powerful example of just that. Through in-depth ethnographic research, Emily Channell-Justice explores the concept of "self-organization" that emerged from these demonstrations and civil unrest. In her book, "Without the State," she reveals how this idea not only came out of leftist practices, but was also adopted by actors from across the political spectrum, including far-right groups. The widespread adoption of self-organization encouraged Ukrainians to rethink their expectations of the relationship between citizens and their state. In our conversation we seek to address how did the concept of "self-organization" emerge in the context of the Euromaidan protests? How did the adoption of self-organization change people's views on the relationship between citizens and their state in Ukraine? How did self-organization practices affect the political spectrum in Ukraine, including leftist, feminist, and student activists, as well as far-right groups? How has the Euromaidan experience impacted the future of self-organization in Ukraine and other countries facing similar challenges? Conversation with Emily Channel-Justice provides a unique perspective on this crucial moment in Ukraine's post-Soviet history and encourages us to think more deeply about the relationship between citizens and their state both in Ukraine and beyond. ---------------------------------------------- Music for the Conversation Series is generously provided by the Shavnabada Choir . The project author and the host of the Conversation Series is Dr. Tornike Metreveli. ---------------------------------------------- Religion and Theology is produced by Joel Kuhlin for the Center for Theology and Religious Studies. If you have comments or critique of this episode, or any other episodes of R&T, please contact us via the podcast's twitteraccount: @reloteol.

This is the sixteenth episode of the Religion in Praxis Conversations Series, in which we ask: "Is religion central or irrelevant, positive or negative in world politics today?" So much political commentary and analysis focuses on these issues. But these are the wrong questions to be asking, argues Erin K. Wilson. Designed for practitioners, policymakers, and newcomers to the topic of religion and global politics, the book Religion and World Politics Connecting Theory with Practice provides a short, accessible, and practical introduction to how we can understand the place of religion in world politics in a more comprehensive, contextually relevant way. For free download of the book, use the following link. In this conversation, Erin presents a critical, intersectional framework for analysing religion and applies this to case studies of three core areas of international relations (IR) analysis: (1) conflict, violence, and security; (2) development and humanitarianism; and (3) human rights, law, and public life. These cases highlight how assumptions about what religion is and does affect policymakers, theorists, and activists. Erin demonstrates the damage that has been done through policies and programmes based on unquestioned assumptions and the possibilities and insights to be gained by incorporating the critical study of religion into research, policymaking, and practice. This episode, and the book, will be of great interest to students of global politics, IR, religion, and security studies, as well as diplomats, civil servants, policymakers, journalists, and civil society practitioners. It will also benefit IR scholars interested in developing their research to include religion, as well as scholars of religion from disciplines outside IR interested in a deeper understanding of religion and world politics. Erin K. Wilson is thankful to John Esposito's co-author Derya Iner as well as Iselin Frydelund and Susan Hayward. ---------------------------------------------- Music for the Conversation Series is generously provided by the Shavnabada Choir . The project author and the host of the Conversation Series is Dr. Tornike Metreveli. ---------------------------------------------- Religion and Theology is produced by Joel Kuhlin for the Center for Theology and Religious Studies. If you have comments or critique of this episode, or any other episodes of R&T, please contact us via the podcast's twitteraccount: @reloteol.

This is the fourth episode from the concluding conference on the research project "Integration and Tradition: the Making of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Sweden." In this episode, a panel of speakers adress the question "How can the results from the project be of relevance outside academia?" Participants are Dr. Broula Barnohro Oussi (development manager at the Swedish Red Cross), Professor, Aho Shemunkasho (Director of MA studies in Syriac Theology, University of Salzburg) and Habiibah Kabenge Musana (pastor, Legacy for Christ Ministries, Malmö). ---------------------------------------------- Music for the R&T is generously provided by the Nous ---------------------------------------------- Religion and Theology is produced by Joel Kuhlin for the Center for Theology and Religious Studies. If you have comments or critique of this episode, or any other episodes of R&T, please contact us via the podcast's twitteraccount: @reloteol. ---------------------------------------------- Music for the R&T is generously provided by the Nous ---------------------------------------------- Religion and Theology is produced by Joel Kuhlin for the Center for Theology and Religious Studies. If you have comments or critique of this episode, or any other episodes of R&T, please contact us via the podcast's twitteraccount: @reloteol.

Detta avsnitt av R&T är en återpublicering av Magdalena Nordins föredrag "Är Sverige verkligen sekulariserat? Konflikter i hur vi mäter religion." I detta föredrag, som ursprungligen hölls på de så kallade "Ht-dagarna" vid Lunds universitet 2016, undersöker Nordin konflikter i hur forskare mäter religion, i dagens Sverige. Frågan om sekularisering aktualiseras med hjälp av en problematisering av vad som avses med att Sverige framhålls ofta som ett av världens mest sekulariserade länder. Hur har forskare kommit fram till detta resultat? Kan det inte också vara så att religion har en stor plats och betydelse i dagens Sverige – något som lyfts fram i idén om post-sekulära samhällen? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3uLOZXW3gI&ab_channel=HT-fakulteternavidLundsuniversitet ---------------------------------------------- "Religion och Teologi" produceras av Joel Kuhlin, för Centrum för Teologi & Religionsvetenskap. För kritik eller kommentarer till avsnittet, skriv gärna en rad till religionochteologi@outlook.com, eller på Twitter till @reloteol. ---------------------------------------------- Särskilt tack till gruppen Nous för musiken.

This is the third episode from the concluding conference on the research project "Integration and Tradition: the Making of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Sweden." In this episode, Dr. Magdalena Nordin (Gothenburg University) presents a paper on the topic "Family and the transmission of traditions in the Syriac Orthodox Church in Sweden" and Dr. Astrid Krabbe Trolle (Roskilde University) offers a response. ---------------------------------------------- Music for the R&T is generously provided by the Nous ---------------------------------------------- Religion and Theology is produced by Joel Kuhlin for the Center for Theology and Religious Studies. If you have comments or critique of this episode, or any other episodes of R&T, please contact us via the podcast's twitteraccount: @reloteol.

In this episode of the Praxis in Religion Conversation Series, Tornike Metreveli discusses with Professor Tamara Grdzelidze, a former Ambassador of Georgia to the Holy See, how ecclesiastical borders related to national boundaries and what connections exist between Orthodoxy and national identity. Orthodox Christianity is reviewed for its capacity for a complex and multifaceted relationship with political power throughout its history. In some cases, Orthodox Christianity has influenced political power and shaped the policies and practices of ruling elites. In other cases, political power has shaped the direction and development of Orthodox Christianity. Today, the relationship between Orthodox Christianity and political power is particularly relevant in Eastern Europe, where the influence of Orthodox Christianity on society and politics is significant. However, the connections between Orthodoxy and political power are far from simple and fixed. They are influenced by a variety of historical, cultural, and social factors, and can vary significantly from one country or region to another. ---------------------------------------------- Music for the Conversation Series is generously provided by the Shavnabada Choir . The project author and the host of the Conversation Series is Dr. Tornike Metreveli. ---------------------------------------------- Religion and Theology is produced by Joel Kuhlin for the Center for Theology and Religious Studies. If you have comments or critique of this episode, or any other episodes of R&T, please contact us via the podcast's twitteraccount: @reloteol.

This is the second episode from the concluding conference on the research project "Integration and Tradition: the Making of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Sweden." In this episode, Dr. Henrik Johnsén (Stockholm university/Lund University) dicusees results in the form of a presentation on "Hierarchy, democracy and religious tradition – the emergence of Syriac-Orthodox congregation organization in Sweden." And afterwards, Dr. Andreas Schmoller (Katholische Privat-Universität, Linz) offers some reflections. Abstract for Johnsén's presentation: "Based upon a case study of three Syriac-orthodox congregations in Sweden, with empirics from field studies and archives collected during a four-year project, this paper discusses how three Syriac-orthodox congregations have gradually established themselves in Sweden since the 1960’s. How have the congregations organized themselves? Which factors and actors within the Syriac-orthodox church and within the Swedish society have contributed to their establishment on the local level and to the specific form of the congregation organization? To what extent have Swedish democratic ideals had an effect on the emergent organization and leadership? Which negotiations and tensions have been the most apparent in the three specific cases?" ---------------------------------------------- Music for the R&T is generously provided by the Nous ---------------------------------------------- Religion and Theology is produced by Joel Kuhlin for the Center for Theology and Religious Studies. If you have comments or critique of this episode, or any other episodes of R&T, please contact us via the podcast's twitteraccount: @reloteol.

From 2018 , the research project "Integration and Tradition: the Making of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Sweden" has been ongoing. In a brief series of episodes, the main content of a concluding conference to the project–held in Lund on the 28-29th November–will be podcasted on R&T, with a focus on presenting and discussing its results. In this episode, we will get an introduction and overall presentation of the project Integration and tradition by project leader, Dr. Magdalena Nordin (Gothenburg University), who talks on the topic "The making of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Sweden." Following this presentation, Dr. Katarina Westerlund (Uppsala university) offers reflections on Nordin's talk. ---------------------------------------------- Music for the R&T is generously provided by the Nous ---------------------------------------------- Religion and Theology is produced by Joel Kuhlin for the Center for Theology and Religious Studies. If you have comments or critique of this episode, or any other episodes of R&T, please contact us via the podcast's twitteraccount: @reloteol.

This episode of R&T, and special edition of the Conversations Series, is a panel discussion from the conference Christianity and Crisis in European Contexts (28-29/10 2022) held at CTR. Johanna Gustafsson Lundberg opens the episode, by introducing us to the moderator, Göran Rosenberg, as well as speakers Tornike Metreveli, Valentina Napolitano, Elisabeth Shakman Hurd & Ulrich Schmiedel. In recent years, the integrity and identity of Europe have been challenged. So-called populist and nationalist movements have reshaped several European democracies’ political landscapes, the Coronavirus Pandemic has put pressure on Europe’s health care systems and economies, and a recent invasion of Ukraine has raised major questions about the borders and capacities of Europe’s economic and defense alliances. In this context, political figures, religious leaders and others have drawn on strands of Christian traditions to mediate between various parties, including governments, religious institutions, research institutions, and private citizens. This conference aims to investigate the place of Christianity – historically, theoretically, and practically – in Europe’s (and individual European countries’) ongoing challenges. Do these challenges constitute a crisis? If so, what kind of crisis does Europe face? What is the role of Christianity (actual, or possible) in exacerbating the challenges Europe faces, or in resolving them? We will deploy a variety of methodologies to approach and address these and other questions about the intersection of Christianity, politics, and identity in Europe. ---------------------------------------------- Music for the Conversation Series is generously provided by the Shavnabada Choir. The project author and the host of the Conversation Series is Dr. Tornike Metreveli. ---------------------------------------------- Religion and Theology is produced by Joel Kuhlin for the Center for Theology and Religious Studies. If you have comments or critique of this episode, or any other episodes of R&T, please contact us via the podcast's twitteraccount: @reloteol.

This is the thirteenth episode of the Praxis in Religion Conversation Series and the opening of a new season, in which the following questions in posed: How did the state arise in Europe? The canonical answer is Charles Tilly’s: “war made the state and the state made war.” The starting point is the fragmentation of territorial political authority in Europe after the collapse of the Carolingian empire in 888, and the ambitions of rulers in the early modern (1500-1700) era. To expand their rule, monarchs and princes fought bitter wars with other other—and to fund this increasingly costly warfare, they extracted taxes. Domestic institutions such as state administrations, fiscal offices, and parliaments arose in response to these needs. In these “bellecist” accounts, rulers who succeeded in building up the administrative and military apparatus of war went on to consolidate their territorial gains and ensure the survival of their states. These relentless pressures eventually meant fewer and bigger states, from as many as 500 independent states in Europe in 1500 to 30 four centuries later. In a current episode, Anna Grzymala Busse takes Charles Tilly to church, and questions each of these core pillars of the bellecist story. She shows that roots of many state institutions are found in the medieval era, not the early modern. Fragmentation was not simply a post-imperial legacy, but a sustained and deliberate policy. ---------------------------------------------- Music for the Conversation Series is generously provided by the Shavnabada Choir . The project author and the host of the Conversation Series is Dr. Tornike Metreveli. ---------------------------------------------- Religion and Theology is produced by Joel Kuhlin for the Center for Theology and Religious Studies. If you have comments or critique of this episode, or any other episodes of R&T, please contact us via the podcast's twitteraccount: @reloteol.

Den 2:a juni 2022, höll årets hedersdoktor vid CTR, Peter Halldorf, sin en föreläsning under rubriken: "Den andra världen är den här världen. Philip Sherrards vision och vår planets akutläge." Peter Halldorf är pastor i pingströrelsen men huvudsakligen känd som redaktör för tidskriften Pilgrim och författare av ett trettiotal böcker. Halldorf har länge varit en av de mest centrala gestalterna inom svensk ekumenik och en av svensk kristenhets mest lästa författare och teologiska folkbildare. Förankrad i den svenska pingströrelsen och frikyrkligheten i allmänhet har han blivit en välkänd och uppskattad teolog även inom Svenska kyrkan, Stockholms katolska stift och de ortodoxa kyrkorna i Sverige, samt internationellt. Genom sitt redaktörskap, sin stora bokproduktion, men också sin omfattande föredragsverksamhet, har Halldorf haft ett stort genomslag i svensk kristenhet och väsentligt ökat olika kristna gruppers förståelse för varandra. För sitt arbete har Halldorf mottagit ett flertal priser och utmärkelser. ---------------------------------------------- "Religion och Teologi" produceras av Joel Kuhlin, för Centrum för Teologi & Religionsvetenskap. För kritik eller kommentarer till avsnittet, skriv gärna en rad till religionochteologi@outlook.com, eller på Twitter till @reloteol. ---------------------------------------------- Stort tack till Erik Bergman, för all teknisk hjälp med detta avsnitt. Särskilt tack till gruppen Nous för musiken.

Detta avsnitt är en åter-publicering av en inspelning från Almedalsveckan den 4 juli 2019. Under ledning av Johanna Gustafsson Lundberg (forskare, Lunds universitet), medverkar Alexandra Pascalidou (journalist), Magdalena Nordin (forskare, Lunds universitet/Göteborgs universitet), Andreas Westergren (forskare, Lunds universitet), Torbjörn Aronson (forskare, Uppsala universitet) och Gunilla Hallonsten (präst, Svenska kyrkan) i ett panelsamtalet och seminariet under temat: "Integration och tradition – religion som en viktig faktor för immigranters integration" ---------------------------------------------- "Religion och Teologi" produceras av Joel Kuhlin, för Centrum för Teologi & Religionsvetenskap. För kritik eller kommentarer till avsnittet, skriv gärna en rad till religionochteologi@outlook.com, eller på Twitter till @reloteol. ---------------------------------------------- Särskilt tack till gruppen Nous för musiken.

Detta avsnitt är en åter-publicering av en inspelning från Almedalsveckan den 3:e juli 2019. I panelsamtalet och seminariet under temat "Artificiell intelligens och religion – om det som är möjligt och det som är gott," som leds av Johanna Gustafsson Lundberg (forskare i etik vid CTR), medverkar Blaženka Scheuer (forskare i GT, CRT), Johan Tyrberg (biskop Lunds stift, Svenska kyrkan), Maria Küchen (författare). ---------------------------------------------- "Religion och Teologi" produceras av Joel Kuhlin, för Centrum för Teologi & Religionsvetenskap. För kritik eller kommentarer till avsnittet, skriv gärna en rad till religionochteologi@outlook.com, eller på Twitter till @reloteol. ---------------------------------------------- Särskilt tack till gruppen Nous för musiken.