Research Projects
The most relevant and predominant research fields of the recent period include the history of ancient Middle-Eastern religions, science and religion, Estonian church history, and modern religious trends. Cooperation is supported by the Research Group on the History of Church and Religion in Estonia and the Collegium of Science and Religion, both founded at the theological faculty. In addition to these main research areas, notable contributions have been made in the study of the Old and New Testaments, psychology of religion, the study of Inca religion, Islamic studies, Judaic studies, classical systematic theology, practical theology, and religious education.
International cooperation projects
| Title | Principal investigator | Years | Financing institution |
| Religion and Gender Equality: Baltic and Nordic Developments (ETIS, Web page) | Anne Kull | 2021-2023 | EAA and Norway Grants |
| Religious Toleration and Peace (ETIS) Web page |
Lea Altnurme | 2018-2022 | Horisont 2020 |
| Tackling Sensitive Issues in Classroom (SensiClass) (ETIS, Web page) | Elo Süld | 2019-2022 | Erasmus+ |
| Understanding Unbelief in Estonia (ETIS) | Atko Remmel | 2018-2019 | John Templeton Foundation |
| Cultural and religious diversity in primary school (Web page) | Olga Schihalejev | 2014-2017 | Foundation for Baltic and East European Studies |
| Title | Principal investigator | Years | Financing institution |
| Teaching Religion and Thinking Education at the Baltic-Barent Brim (Web page) | Olga Schihalejev | 2010-2014 | Foundation for Baltic and East European Studies |
| Religion in biocultural paradigm | Anne Kull | 2009-2013 | Metanexus Institute |
| Religion in Education. A contribution to Dialogue or a factor of Conflict in transforming societies of European Countries (ETIS) | Pille Valk † | 2006-2009 | European Commission FP6 |
| Churches and European Integration | Riho Altnurme | 2001-2004 | European Commission FP5 |
National research grants
| Title | Principal investigator | Years | Financing institution |
| Orthodoxy as solidarity: an examination of popular and conciliar Orthodoxy in the Baltic provinces and independent Estonia, 1890s-1930s (ETIS) | Irina Paert | 2021-2026 | Estonian Research Council |
| Methodological and Theoretical Foundations for Cross-disciplinary Cooperation and Compatibility in the Study of Religion (ETIS) | Indrek Peedu | 2021-2023 | Estonian Research Council |
| The Emergence of the Biblical Book of Job on the Backdrop of the so-called Job Literature (ETIS) | Urmas Nõmmik | 2020-2024 | Estonian Research Council |
| Compilation of a book on the history of Estonian-Japanese relations (ETIS) | Elo Süld | 2020-2021 | Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
| Seeing Through Numbers: Counting and Mapping Religious Communities in the Baltic Provinces, 1840-1914 (ETIS) | Catherine Helen Gibson | 2019-2021 | Estonian Research Council |
| Forms of Creativity in the Intellectual History of Ancient Mesopotamia (ETIS) | Amar Annus | 2017-2020 | Estonian Research Council |
| Altar and classroom: the Orthodox schools in the Baltic provinces 1870-1914 (ETIS) | Irina Paert | 2014-2017 | Estonian Research Council |
| The Ancient Near Eastern Creation Mythology and the Structural Developments of the Pantheon: Diachronical Analysis from the Earliest Sources to the First Dynasty of Babylon (ETIS) | Peeter Espak | 2014-2017 | Estonian Research Council |
|
Title |
Principal investigator | Years | Financing institution |
| Orthodoxy as solidarity: an examination of popular and conciliar Orthodoxy in the Baltic provinces and independent Estonia, 1890s-1930s (ETIS) | Irina Paert | 2021 | Estonian Research Council |
| Secularisation (de-institutionalisation and de-Christianisation): Religion in Estonia from the Modern Period to the Present (ETIS) | Riho Altnurme | 2011–2016 | Ministry of Education and Research |
|
Contextual factors of young people's attitudes and convictions in relation to religion and religious diversity (ETIS) |
Olga Schihalejev |
2012-2015 |
Estonian Research Council |
|
Formal and Theological Markers of Religious Groups in the Late Old Testament and Related Literature (ETIS) |
Urmas Nõmmik |
2012-2015 |
Estonian Research Council |
| A Religious Studies research group participated in the Centre of Excellence in Cultural Theory (ETIS) | Pille Valk, Anne Kull, Riho Altnurme | 2008-2015 | Archimedes Foundation |
| Mapping and Research of the Historical-Cultural Heritage of the Estonian Exile Churches (ETIS 1, 2, 3, 4) | Riho Altnurme | 2010-2014 | Ministry of Education and Research |
|
War and Religion in Near Eastern Cultures: Development of the Concept of Holy War from the Earliest Mesopotamian Cultures to Modern Day Islam (ETIS) |
Thomas Kämmerer |
2008-2009, 2011 |
Estonian Research Council |
|
The relations between religion and the state in early totalitarian society (ETIS) |
Tarmo Kulmar |
2006-2009 |
Estonian Research Council |
| The Relations between the Church and the State in Estonia in the 20th Century (ETIS) | Riho Altnurme |
2006-2009 |
Estonian Research Council |
| Cultural interactions and religious influences in the Near East and the Mediterranean region in the first millennium BC (ETIS) |
Amar Annus |
2006-2009 |
Estonian Research Council |
|
Early Christianity in the Context of the Late Antiquity and its Impact on Today (ETIS) |
Peeter Roosimaa |
2006-2009 |
Estonian Research Council |
|
Theology in Tartu in the 19th Century: The Role of Theological Faculty of the Imperial University of Tartu in Estonian Church and Cultural History (ETIS) |
Urmas Petti † |
2005-2008 |
Estonian Research Council |
| Religiosity Dynamics in Civilisation (ETIS) | Kalle Kasemaa | 2004-2007 | Ministry of Education and Research |
|
Theoretical and Practical Problems of Religious Education in Estonian Schools (ETIS) |
Pille Valk † |
2004-2007 |
Estonian Research Council |
|
Religion in totalitarian states of ancient and medieval times |
Tarmo Kulmar |
2003-2005 |
Estonian Research Council |
|
Structure and development of theological and religious vocabulary in Estonian |
Siret Rutiku |
2002-2005 |
Estonian Research Council |
|
History of Estonian theological thought |
Riho Altnurme |
2002-2005 |
Estonian Research Council |
| Religion ja totalitarism in Estonian recent histrory | Tarmo Kulmar | 2003-2004 | Ministry of Education and Research |
|
Homiletics in the perspective of communication theory |
Tõnu Lehtsaar |
2002-2004 |
Estonian Research Council |
|
Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Soviet state 1950–1969 |
Riho Altnurme |
2001-2004 |
Estonian Research Council |
| Socio-cultural functions of religion | Kalle Kasemaa | 1998-2003 | Ministry of Education and Research |
|
Development of a modern concept of religious education for Estonian general education schools |
Pille Valk † |
2001-2002 |
Estonian Research Council |
|
The role of religion in ancient totalitarian states (based on the example of the Inca state) |
Tarmo Kulmar |
2001-2002 |
Estonian Research Council |
|
Proportional attitudes: attributed objectivity |
Jaan Kivistik |
2000-2001 |
Estonian Research Council |
|
Christology in Lutheran and Eastern Orthodox theology |
Alar Laats |
1999-2002 |
Estonian Research Council |
|
The history and modern influence of the Dorpat school of the psychology of religion |
Tõnu Lehtsaar |
1999-2000 |
Estonian Research Council |
|
Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Soviet state 1944–1949 |
Riho Altnurme |
1999-2000 |
Estonian Research Council |
|
Development of a methodology of pastoral diagnostics |
Tõnu Lehtsaar |
1997-1998 |
Estonian Research Council |
|
The structure and development of the religion of ancient Peru from the Chavin culture to the beginning of the 16th century |
Tarmo Kulmar |
1996-1997 |
Estonian Research Council |
|
Changes in Estonian religion through communication with Indo-European nations |
Tarmo Kulmar |
1994 |
Estonian Research Council |
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University grants
| Title | Principal investigator | Years |
| Ofthodoxy as Solidarity: an exarnination of popular and conciliar Orthodoxy (the case-study of the Baltic provinces and independent Estonia, 1891-1940 in a comparative perspective) (ETIS) | Irina Paert | 2019-2020 |
| Title | Principal investigator | Years |
| Scientific heritage Uku Masing's and Arthur Võõbus' scientific heritage | Urmas Nõmmik, Amar Annus | 2011-2015 |
|
Religious dimension of societal and cultural processes in Estonian recent history |
Riho Altnurme | 2009-2010 |
| Dialogue of religion and science | Anne Kull | 2006-2007 |
Privately funded Estonian grants
| Title | Principal investigator | Years | Financing institution |
| An effect of mindfulness-based intervention of Silent Minutes on the students of secondary school: their capacity of attention, difficulties in emotion regulation, behavior and level of stress (ETIS) | Kristel Põder | 2018-2020 | MTÜ Vaikuseminutid |
| Replenishment of basic definitions in the glossary of religious studies (ETIS) | Tarmo Kulmar | 2017 | Estonian Association for Applied Linguistics |
| Title | Principal investigator | Years | Financing institution |
|
History of Estonian Ecumenism |
Riho Altnurme | 2007-2009 | Estonian Council of Churches |
Doctoral defence: Iakov Kadochnikov “Deification of kings in Ancient Mesopotamia (from III to II millennium BC)”
