The 22nd Nordic Conference for Sociology of Religion, to be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, August 20-22, has as its theme: “Change and Continuity — Religion, State, Civil Society.” Across the world, in the last two decades of the twentieth century religions have been increasingly visible in public space as influential discursive and symbolic systems partly beyond the control of either traditional religious authorizing institutions or states. Different theories articulate this involvement as related to the globalization of media, migration, and the intensified demographic mobility of the last half century. All of these processes, however, seem to further an ongoing differentiation of religion from traditional institutions and a more varied religious presence in public space. Consequently, religion may be found and studied in both overt and concealed forms in many matters conventionally categorised as secular. This situation carries new challenges for democracy, (welfare) state systems and civil society.
The 22nd Nordic Conference for Sociology of Religion seeks a more thorough understanding – theoretically as well as empirically – of the dynamic interrelations of religion, state and civil society. In short, the organizers would like to find out how this interrelation is part of processes of change and continuity in society today.
The language of the conference is English.