Tell us a little about yourself
-I am an associate professor in sociology of religion and from 2020 to 2025 was the head of the Center for Contemporary Religion. I have a degree in religious studies and political science from Aarhus University, where I also acquired my Ph.D. about religion in public debates in Scandinavia. My research revolves around the role of religion in modern, secular society, especially in relation to the media, institutions and the public.

What characterizes the department today?
-The Department of the Study of Religion has around 25 researchers who together cover a broad spectrum of academic areas of interest and approaches to the study of religion. Although there is both subject and personal overlap, the department has four relatively established units: one for the history of religion, one for cognitive theory, one anthropological and one unit for Arabic and Islamic studies. There are also employees with an interest in philosophical and philological approaches to religion, which contributes to the overall academic breadth and ensures that religion can be studied both as a historical, cultural and contemporary phenomenon. This diversity makes the department a highly interdisciplinary research environment, where different theoretical and methodological perspectives meet and enrich each other. In addition to research, the department houses two degree programmes: Religious Studies and Arabic and Islamic Studies. Both programmes are relatively small, which provides a close and vibrant link between research and teaching.

What will be the first major task for you as the new head of department?
-One of the department's first tasks is the move to new buildings in early 2026. The move also affects a major change in the department, as Arabic and Islamic Studies will not move with it, but will move to the Department of Global Studies. However, the education in Arabic and Islamic Studies is still in the department until the new curricula come into force. 

"The biggest task in the coming year is the development of a new curriculum for the study of religion. It will strengthen the connection between the subjects and ensure that the programme remains current and relevant to an increasingly broader labour market for our graduates,"

Henrik Reintoft Christensen, new Head of Department at the Department of The Study of Religion