Religious Studies Research Center "Ethna" is an independent scholarly research center based in St. Petersburg (Russia); it was created to study contemporary religious situation and unites scholars from various countries.

Existence of confessional and institutional Religious Studies structures determined the necessity of creation of a center that would consolidate religious studies community and strive for dialogue in interdisciplinary areas of knowledge and inter-confessional research. From our point of view these very tasks determine the Center's relevance today.

1. Directions of the Center's research:

• Theoretical
  • methodology of Religious Studies (contemporary and classical Religious Studies);
  • comparative analysis of research methods (Western and Russian Religious Studies);
  • interdisciplinary research in the area of Religious Studies.
  
  
• Practical
  • Religious Studies counseling and examination:
    • legal counseling;
    • sociological counseling on religious matters;
    • psychological counseling.
  • analytical research of contemporary religious situation in Russia and Europe:
    • religion in modern society;
    • appearance of world religions;
    • New Religious Movements;
    • woman in religions (as a gender oriented religious studies discussion).

     

2. The Center's functions:

• scientific analysis (carrying out research, organization of conferences and seminars);
• "field" function (religious studies counseling, sociological opinion polls, monitoring public opinion);
• study and enlightenment (starting of a series of lectures);
• informational (creation of online informational projects);
• publishing (publishing of works by "classical" religious studies scholars and contemporary researchers of religion);
• public (establishment of contacts, organization of meetings, advertisement).