Teaching staff of the Department of Comparative Religious Studies delivers high quality education on lived religion. Our research is reflected in the work of the Center for Religion and Contemporary Society.
We study people's actual religious beliefs and practices, whether or not they are sanctioned by religious authorities. In doing so, we look at such issues as the tension between religious precepts and practice, the place of religion and spirituality in everyday life, and the role of objects, symbols, rituals, and religious narratives. By comparing different religious traditions and phenomena we try to gain a better understanding of this.
Chair of the department is prof. dr. Eric Venbrux.