Johan Bastubacka

Johan Bastubacka is an Adjunct Professor (Docent) and University Lecturer in Practical Theology at the University of Helsinki's Faculty of Theology. He specializes in religious communication, law and religion, and liturgical studies. His research bridges Orthodox minority perspectives, Arctic Christianity, and the intersection of religion with media, art, and colonial history.

Key research areas include:

• Ritual semiotics and embodied theology
• Orthodox legal traditions and minority religious practices
• Social media's impact on religious expression
• Colonial missionary dynamics in the Arctic
• Material religion (icons, domestic religious artifacts)

Recent work examines pandemic responses in Orthodox communities and Ivan Veniaminov's 19th-century Aleutian missionary activities. He leads the Arctic Christianity project exploring circumpolar religious-indigenous interactions.

Active in academic leadership:

• Supervisor for the Doctoral Programme in Theology and Religious Studies
• Project manager for Arctic Christianity (2021–present)
• Participant in ProNoLa (2016–2019) studying Nordic legal secularity

Editor-in-chief of Teologia.fi web-journal and frequent conference presenter on topics like hymnology and ecumenical liturgical theology.