Islamic Studies at Stockholm University is a humanities-based field of research within the History of Religions. Our research approaches Islam as a historical, living and changing religious tradition, from its early history to the present. A central concern is how Islam has been interpreted, practised and transformed in different historical, social, political and cultural contexts.
Our approach is critical, historical and contextual, situating Islam within the History of Religions. We do not imagine Islam as a unified or timeless tradition, but investigate how religious ideas, practices and institutions have been formed and renegotiated in different contexts, demonstrating how actors formulate and communicate religious interpretations, and how claims to religious authority are established, legitimised and challenged. Questions of what has been defined as legitimate or illegitimate Islamic belief and practice are approached as historical and social processes.
Our research spans broad historical periods and diverse geographical and social settings. It includes Islamic texts and intellectual traditions, theological trends, material and lived religion, political Islam, Salafism and other Islamic movements, as well as Islam in Europe and Sweden. Recurring themes include questions of power and authority, continuity and change, and the relationships between religion, society and politics. Our research also intersects with Religious Education, and we collaborate with researchers in this field on questions concerning how Islam and religion are understood, represented and communicated in educational contexts.
Research in Islamic Studies at Stockholm University is characterised by methodological breadth. Researchers work with historical and contemporary texts, material and visual sources, interviews and ethnographic material, as well as large digital text collections. Critical humanities and History of Religions approaches are combined with new digital methods and tools when and where appropriate. Across these different approaches, sources, religious claims and practices are analysed in relation to the actors and historical contexts in which they have been produced, communicated and given meaning.
Stockholm University also offers a Bachelor’s degree in History of Religions with a specialisation in Islamic Studies. The programme is closely connected to ongoing research in the field. We also offer a Master’s programme and doctoral studies in the History of Religions, with opportunities to specialise in Islamic Studies.