About
Priit Rohtmets is an Associate Professor of Church History at the School of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Tartu (2021–present) and a Professor of Church History at the Theological Institute of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church (2017–present). He has held various research and teaching roles at the University of Tartu since 2011, including Senior Research Fellow positions (2018–2020) and Lecturer (2017–2018). Rohtmets was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Leibniz Institute of European History (2013–2014).
Rohtmets specializes in Church History, with a focus on Estonian religious dynamics during the 20th century. His research spans Orthodox and Lutheran Churches in Estonia, secularization processes, ecumenism, and geopolitical religious conflicts (particularly regarding the Russian Orthodox Church's role in the Ukraine War). His work intersects theology, political history, and sociocultural transformations.
Recent publications analyze religious adaptation (2024), orthodox imperial identity (2024), and Estonian Lutheran survival strategies (2024). His research shows consistent engagement with post-totalitarian religious recovery, church-state tensions, and modern ecclesiastical governance.
Awards:
- 2020 – Silver Prize (Akadeemia) for Best Article in Socialia
- 2015 – Estonian Government Stipendium for Friedrich Akel Biography
- 2013 – Pfalz Evangelische Kirche Stipendium
- 2012 – 2nd Place (Estonian Student Research)
- 2008 – Estonian Students Fund (USA) and Estonian World Council Stipendium
Rohtmets contributes to international advisory committees (Lutheran-Orthodox Joint Commission, 2025–), Estonian Public Broadcasting (2024–), and serves as Vice-Head of the School of Theology (2023–). He has participated in 10+ funded projects, including Religious Toleration and Peace (€194,750) and Orthodoxy as Solidarity (€168,750).