Summer School and Conference June 9-12, 2025
Religion: Concealed and Revealed

The aim of this summer school and conference is to bring together doctoral candidates and researchers from various academic fields that engage with the study of religion, such as theology, religious studies, study of esotericism, history, philosophy, the arts, social and political sciences and other. We invite papers that engage with the theme Religion: Concealed and Revealed from both historical and contemporary, as well as theoretical perspectives. We understand the title of this conference both as metaphoric as well as concrete and tangible: ideas, doctrines, texts, artifacts, and interpretations can be concealed, hidden, veiled, and/or they can be revealed, unveiled, and made visible.

Hiddenness and revealedness, public and private, are in constant interplay in religions. Already the fact that many religions have the concept of revelation as a foundational premise point towards God or the transcendent being simultaneously hidden – otherwise revelation would not be needed. Likewise, the religious specialists often possess knowledge not accessible to the rank-and-file members. Another dimension of hiddenness are the illegitimate or religiously unacceptable actions which are hidden until they become public e.g. through accusations from the victims of abuse. Additionally, different taboos and regulations related either to clothing or hiding the holy objects or actions from the preying eyes embody the interplay between the hidden and the revealed. Also, in cases of persecution or misgivings about a religious group may force it into hiding whereby hiddenness becomes a mechanism of survival.

Within the Summer School, together with SNASWE – Scandinavian Network for the Academic Study of Western Esotericism, there will be a special stream of panels for Scandinavian PhD students focusing on Esotericism. Secrecy and the tension between hidden and revealed have played an important role in the history of esotericism. Esoteric discourses often revolve around the hidden knowledge, which is seen as the counterpart to “exoteric” knowledge available to all. Although “esoteric” knowledge itself is not necessarily secret, its concealment may be related to, for example, its experiential or embodied nature. The internalization of secret knowledge is also frequently believed to require special initiation, rituals or spiritual development. Esoteric discourses may refer to small groups, some sort of elite or secret brotherhoods, which possess hidden knowledge. Such perceptions have also given rise to various conspiracy theories.

Doctoral students are expected to stay for the conference as well.

To apply, please send an abstract of approximately 150 words no later than 31 January 2025 through the abstract submission link. Letters of acceptance will be posted within February 2025. Upon acceptance to the summer school, doctoral candidates will furthermore be asked to submit a 500-word synopsis of their research theme no later than 5 May 2025.