17th International ISORECEA Conference in Bratislava
From April 16–18, the premises of Comenius University and its Faculty of Natural Sciences hosted the 17th annual international scientific conference ISORECEA (The International Study of Religion in Eastern and Central Europe Association). This is a well‑established scholarly meeting where researchers not only from the post‑socialist region but also from other European and non‑European academic institutions exchange experiences and current research topics in the field of religion.
The high level of interest in this topic is confirmed by the fact that more than 100 participants registered for the Bratislava conference. Our institute was represented by members of the research areas Contemporary Societies – Religious Studies and Ethnic and Minority Studies – Romani Studies. Tatiana Zachar Podolinská and Juraj Majo presented a joint paper titled Visual Expressions of Lived Religion among Roma in Slovakia. Doctoral student Evgenii Farafonov presented the paper Astrology and Astrologers in the Post‑Communist Space from the 1990s to the Present, and doctoral student Iveta Štefanovičová presented a poster titled The Secular Experience of the Sacred: The Representation of Jesus in Popular Culture Created by Religious Nones (A Case Study of The Simpsons).
Picture 1. Public Defender of Rights of the Slovak Republic Dr. Róbert Dobrovodský during the opening plenary lecture Freedom of Thought and Religion in the Context of the Work of the Public Defender of Rights. © Milan Zeman
Picture 2: Honorary President of ISORECEA Eileen Barker (right) during the plenary lecture Peering through the Curtain, then Stepping through the Wall: A West‑European Sociologist of Religion Journeys East. © Milan Zeman
Picture 3: Juraj Majo and Tatiana Zachar Podolinská during their presentation (left: Sanja Zlatanović from the Institute of Political Science, Slovak Academy of Sciences) © Milan Zeman
Picture 4: Our doctoral student E. Farafonov during his presentation © Milan Zeman
Picture 5: Outgoing ISORECEA President Gergely Rosta from Hungary (center) and newly elected President Milda Ališauskienė from Lithuania during the gala evening in Moyzes Hall (left: main executive organizer of the conference Miroslav Tížik) © Milan Zeman
