Peder Thalén
Professor
About the researcher
My research is mainly focused on questions related to secular beliefs:
- What is the role of atheism in Sweden and Europe?
- How should it be described philosophically?
- How has atheism changed?
- Is it possible to empirically measure the spread of secular beliefs?
In parallel with this research, I have also published material concerning the function of religious and theological language and our understanding of the secularisation process. Religious education questions have also been addressed to some extent.
My teaching areas are primarily philosophy of religion, ethics and cultural studies.
- In 1994 I received my doctorate in theology from the Faculty of Theology in Uppsala University.
- Between 1995–2003 I worked as a University teacher at the Department of Religious Studies, Umeå University.
- In 2003, I took up a position as Senior Lecturer in religious studies at the University of Gävle.
- In 2008 I became a Docent in Philosophy of Religion at Åbo Academy.
My research areas cover four different but interrelated fields: a) Philosophy of religion focusing on the function of religious language (mainly from a Wittgensteinian perspective) b) The debate between atheists and religious representatives as it is conducted both in the media and on an academic level c) Methodological issues of a philosophical nature in the quantitative sociology of religion c) Homiletics, especially the view of language presupposed in contemporary academic homiletics.
Previous research
My previous research has mainly dealt with the Swedish atheism debate during the 1950s and 60s. This has later been extended to the role of atheism in the contemporary world. I have also written about methodological issues in the sociology of religion.
This page was last updated 2025-05-26