Research
The research done at MF is diverse and covers areas such as theology and interdisciplinary studies of religion and society.
Funding Bodies
MF's fields of research
MF is a driving force in research and development in theology, religious studies, humanities and social sciences. At MF there is a close interaction between research and education.
Prominent researchers at MF
Solvor Mjøberg Lauritzen
Lauritzen has a PhD in Education from the University of York, and has expertise in peace education, intercultural education and Critical Romani Studies. She leads the RCN funded research project MEMOROBIA, and a NIKK-funded project about Queer Roma in the Nordics. In later years, her main research focus has been on the minorities Roma and Travellers, both in Norway and globally.
Atle Ottesen Søvik
Søvik has a PhD in philosophy of religion from MF. In later years, his research interest has turned to artificial intelligence, ethics and philosophy. Currently, he is working on a new book about artificial intelligence in collaboration with Asle Eikrem, and has contributed in the development of the play Prosessen mot menneska, that was performed at Det Norske Teatret before Easter.
Moumita Sen
Sen has a PhD in Cultural Studies and Oriental Languages from the University of Oslo. Her postdoctoral research focuses on the intersection of aesthetic discourse, popular religiosity, and organized politics in caste activism in India. She is the leader of the ERC funded research project Political Deification and Mythopolitics in South Asia, as well as one of the funding members of the research collective Theory from the Margins.
Upcoming Events
MF CASR Book talk with Liv Ingeborg Lied and Brent Nongbri
Time:MF CASR Book talk with Gregory Fewster
Time:MF CASR Book talk with Kristin Joachimsen
Time:Disputas Leni Mjåland
Time:MF has two research centres:
MF Centre for the Advanced Study of Religion, MF CASR, fronts research on religion at MF. The center is an arena for research and research dissemination. MF CASR facilitates cooperation between MF and other academic institutions.
MF KOM – Centre of competance for research on, development of and communication with church and congregation. The centre functions as a communication link between scholars at MF and church bodies and workers who wish to make use of MF's expertise in their own contexts.
Research news from MF
FRIPRO funds to Mina Monier
Published: 9. April 2025
Senior Researcher Mina Monier receives funds from the Research Council of Norway in the category of Researcher Project for Early Career. The funds are awarded to the project "Unconventional Gospels (UnGos): A Computer–Assisted Analysis of Complex Harmonic Traditions in Newly Discovered Manuscripts." The project is one of 23 projects that receive a total of 216 million NOK for groundbreaking research.
The Role of Orientalism in the History of the Qurʿān
Published: 9. April 2025
Do you know how the first English translation of the Qurʿān directly from Arabic came to be? It’s a fascinating result of a race between the Protestant and Catholic churches. Zeshan Ullah Qureshi explores how sharp polemics, impressive philology, and Christian rivalry have shaped both Europe’s encounter with the Qurʿān and European thought itself.
MF Excavates the World's Oldest Monasteries
Published: 16. December 2024
MF Professor Victor Ghica leads the prestigious DEChriM project. Through groundbreaking archaeological discoveries in the desert, researchers are delving deep into the Christianization of Egypt.
Ways of belonging
Published: 6. October 2023
Explore how social belonging provides security and joy. Research from MF shows that belonging varies with individual needs and values.
