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
Victor Ghica
Ghica is a professor of ancient and early Christian studies at MF, with research interest and teaching activities in archaeology, languages, epigraphy, and papyrology. He is currently the principal investigator of the ERC-funded research project DEChriM. The findings from this project are contributing to changing the understanding of early Christianity in Egypt and the establishment of the first monastic communities in Egypt in the 4th century.
Claudia Lenz
Lenz is a trained philosopher and political scientist, and works as a professor of social sciences with a focus on the prevention of racism and anti-Semitism at MF. Additionally, she is employed as a researcher at the HL centre, where she researches memory culture, particularly related to World War II, the Holocaust, and the July 22nd terror attack in Norway. Lenz also leads the Dembra project for teacher training institutions, a part of the Dembra project at the HL centre, focusing on how schools can prevent group- hostile attitudes.
Ragnar Misje Bergem
Misje Bergem holds a PhD in systematic theology and is currently releasing a new monograph The Politics of Monotheism. He is the initiator of the research network Resonans, one of the leaders of the research group Religion and Politics at MF, and a regular reviewer for the newspaper Vårt Land. On March 12th, Misje Bergem will be participating in the seminar Demokrati, kristendom og kirke here at MF.
Upcoming Events
MF CASR Book talk with Tatjana Schnell
Time:Seminar in Psychology of Religion and Existential Psychology
Time:MF CASR lunch with Ingrid Storm
Time:Religionssosiologisk vårseminar
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.
