CENTER FOR RELIGIOUS STUDIES AND RESEARCH

Center for Religious Studies and Research at Vilnius University was founded at the end of the year 1992. After the reestablishment of Lithuanian Republic the possibility to return to European University model has emerged. At that time the question concerning a type of structural subdivision, which should satisfy the needs of religious studies and research has been raised. One of the first faculties of Vilnius University, which was founded by Jesuits in the 16th century, was the Theology (Catholic) Faculty. After the summing-up of the academic realia and needs of independent Lithuania, it was made the decision to start up a Center for Religious Studies and Research - such kind of structure was appropriate to contemporary European universities - instead of the reestablishing the Theology Faculty (such faculty has already been reestablished at Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas).
CRSR is the interdisciplinary and interconfessional separate structural subdivision of the University. The academic study program to obtain master degree is established since 1995. In the near future the study program for bachelors should be open as well.

CRSR endeavours to prompt not only the interconfessional and interreligious dialogue, but also to promote the dialogue between the religious and secular cultures, to present the Catholic Church, its teaching and history. New religious movements also have their place in CRSR studies and research.

The academic study program to obtain master degree contains the disciplines of five main fields: philosophy of religion, theology, biblistics, history of the Church, and social sciences in religious field (religious research, history of religions, sociology of religion, etc.). Students also have ability to choose the introductive courses of Islam, Judaism, Protestantism, etc.; they may attend the religious cinema course, the problem course of philosophy of religion named as "Nihilism and Secularization", and many other courses. 
       
CRSR lectures are held both by Lithuanian and foreign lecturers. On the ground of inter-institutional agreements CRSR upholds the close contacts with Innsbruck, Salzburg (Austria) and some USA universities. Prof. K. Neufeld, prof. Lies (Innsbruck University) and prof. K. Reiterer (Salzburg University) each year come to CRSR as visiting professors.
Organization of public lectures which most usually are held by famous professionals from abroad could be also mentioned as important activity of CRSR. For instance, in 2000 two public lectures were held by one of the most famous sociologists of religion Eileen Barker. The main goal of the lectures, since the very beginning of CRSR activity, was to reestablish adequate understanding of the religion, its place in the society and culture. Such understanding was undoubtedly warped during the Soviet period.
  
CRSR is also involved in different scientific researches. Since its establishment CRSR actively participates in various international projects. The most significant one was International project "Aufbruch", it actually involved ten countries from Central and Eastern Europe. The project made an attempt to examine a religious life in the Soviet period and in the time of transformation from different angles. The project lasted four years and it was finished in 2000. The other highly important project called "Role of the Church in Post-communist Transformations" was initiated by Osnabruek University. This project explored the current situation of the Catholic Church in post-communist society, analyzed its role in the process of transformation. Since 2001 CRSR organizes the annual scientific conferences "Religion and Culture", which were attended by large number of sound scholars and became popular not only in academic world but also in the wider audience. Besides the traditional academic sections of religion and theology, religion and art, these conferences had an echo to special topicalities as well: there were certain papers devoted to the themes of "Religion and Public Discourse", "Religion and the Challenges of Contemporary World", etc. In 2001 CRSR has entered the worldwide catholic organization for communication Signis and started to participate in its congresses, conferences and festivals designed for issues of religious communication. The Center intends to join the international projects under this organization as well. At the end of the year 2002 CRSR has also organized the first seminar "Religion and visualization".