Research at Sankt Ignatios
About our research
Eastern Christian Studies at Sankt Ignatios College explores religious traditions that have developed in the Southern and Eastern parts of the Christian world. How have such communities defined themselves in relation to Jewish, Muslim, Greco-Roman, and secular cultures? How have Eastern Christian traditions interacted with current philosophical and rhetorical trends? And how have they engaged with the social and cultural discourses of their times?
Working with various theories, we investigate the numerous ways in which Christian traditions participate in, adapt to, or transform cultural practices.
Key areas include the reception of the Bible and other normative scriptures, challenges and complexities arising from the emergence of Christian empires, as well as churches’ relations with Islam. We also study the influence of modern nationalism and secularism on Eastern Christian traditions.
Research areas
Biblical Studies and Reception History
Subject Representative
Dr. Miriam Lindgren Hjälm
Church History and Patristics
Subject Representative
Docent Thomas Arentzen
Ecclesiology
Subject Representative
Dr. Michael Hjälm
Liturgics
Subject Representative
Dr. Grant White
Voicing the Mystery
Qǝne (ቅኔ) is a form of improvised spiritual poetry performed during Christian worship and at social gatherings. It draws its inspiration from both Scripture and Tradition and constitutes a unique and living cultural heritage within the Tewahedo-Christian (ተዋሕዶ) tradition.
Led by Ralph Lee and as part of Calum Samuelson’s postdoctoral research project, an international research team is exploring the complex and fascinating dynamics of this rich oral tradition. The project is being conducted in collaboration with Oxford Centre for Mission Studies and financed by Templeton Religion Trust as part of the larger research project The Global Formation Project.
Research on Christian Arabic texts
Miriam Lindgren Hjälm is leading a research project funded by the Swedish Research Council in collaboration with the British Library. The project researches Christian Arabic texts and their reception history. She also participates in the research program Retracing Connections: Byzantine Storyworlds in Greek, Arabic, Georgian and Old Slavonic (c. 950–c. 1100) through Uppsala University.
Other projects
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Reconciliation and social cohesion in post-war Ukraine
The full-scale Russian invasion has deepened social fragmentation in Ukraine and weakened trust in public institutions, whilst the war has also given rise to strong solidarity among people. The project examines the conflict between different Orthodox church jurisdictions as an expression of this broader societal fragmentation and as a potential starting point for reconciliation and reconstruction. Drawing on theories of social anomie, reconciliation and Orthodox ecclesiology, the project investigates how a reconciliation process between Orthodox churches can help to restore social trust, participation and cohesion in post-war Ukrainian society. Particular focus is placed on the Orthodox *sobornist* tradition – church communion, participation and relational unity – and its potential significance as a theological and social foundation for reconciliation even outside the church.
Project Manager: Dr Tetiana Kalenychenko
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Oslo Coalition on Human Rights
Cyril Hovorun, Michael Hjälm And Thomas Arentzen continue their collaboration with Oslo Coalition on Freedom of Religion or Belief. Within the framework of this collaboration, annual conferences are organised that address issues of religious freedom and human dignity from an Orthodox perspective.
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Ecclesiological work within IOTA
Cyril Hovorun and Michael Hjälm lead ongoing work in the International Orthodox Theological Association (IOTA) with a focus on ecclesiology. The work examines how Orthodox churches understand themselves in relation to the surrounding society and to other Christian traditions.