News
Interdisciplinary workshop at the University of Strasbourg
Dr Jenny Butler is participating in the workshop entitled "The Echo of Ancestors: The Reemergence and Claims of 'Ancient' Religions in Europe"
The interdisciplinary workshop explores the revival of ancient religions in Europe, examining their resurgence, dissemination, institutional recognition, and sociopolitical impact. As non-monotheistic beliefs—polytheism, paganism, and animism—gain renewed interest and are increasingly leveraged in identity debates, the initiative brings together researchers from across Europe for a cross-disciplinary investigation of these evolving dynamics.
Program
April 3rd
9:00 – 9:30 | Welcoming Address and Opening Remarks
- Mélanie Schmitt, University of Strasbourg, Head of the DRES Research Centre
9:30 – 10:45 | Session 1
- Kaarina Aitamurto, University of Helsinki: European Slavic Native Faith and Social Recognition
- Fredrik Gregorius, Linköping University: The Many Faces of Heathen Spirituality
10:45 – 11:00 | Coffee Break
11:00 – 12:15 | Session 2
- Michael Strmiska, SUNY Orange: Arguing with the Ancestors: Making the Case for a Paganism without Racism
- Kerem Görkem Arslan, University of Strasbourg: Crossroads of Neo-Paganism: The Claims of European and Turkic Neo-Pagan Movements in Turkish Society
12:15 – 14:00 | Lunch Break
14:00 – 15:30 | Session 3
- Efstathios Kessareas, University of Erfurt: Hellenic Polytheism in Contemporary Greece: Hellenicity/Greekness as an Apple of Discord
- Michal Puchovský, Slovak Academy of Sciences: The Joys and Sorrows of Being a Pagan: Legal, Social, and Political Recognition of Modern Paganism in Slovakia
15:30 – 15:45 | Coffee Break
15:45 – 17:15 | Roundtable Discussion: Societal Impact
Moderator: Kerem Görkem Arslan
- Speakers: Kaarina Aitamurto, Jenny Butler, Rasa Pranskevičiūtė-Amoson, Michael Strmiska, Anne-Laure Zwilling
17:30 | End of Day
April 4th
09:00 – 10:15 | Session 4
- Eva Arnaszus, University of Bremen: Legitimizing Religion: How Romuva is Discursively Constructed in Lithuanian Parliamentary Debates
- Scott Simpson, Jagiellonian University: Recognition of Rodzimowierstwo in Poland in Theory and Practice
10:15 – 10:30 | Coffee Break
10:30 – 11:45 | Session 5
- Jenny Butler, University College Cork: ‘And Ancient Ireland Knew It All’: Ancestors, Antiquity and Contemporary Irish Paganism
- Rasa Pranskevičiūtė-Amoson, Vilnius University: The Old Baltic Faith Romuva Movement and State Recognition
11:45 – 13:30 | Lunch Break
13:30 – 14:15 | Book Overview: Druidism, Tengrism, Taaraism: Current Reactivations of Ancient Spiritualities and Religions, From Identity to Politics.
- Anne-Laure Zwilling, CNRS
14:15 – 14:45 | Concluding Remarks: Future Directions for Research on Religious and Spiritual Movements in Europe
- Samim Akgönül, University of Strasbourg
15:00 | End of Workshop
Useful information
- Date: April 3-4, 2025
- Venue: MISHA, Salle Europe, University of Strasbourg
- Hybrid Format: Available both in-person and online