Julia Martínez-Ariño

Dr. Julia Martínez-Ariño is a Lecturer in the Department of Comparative Study of Religion at the University of Groningen. She holds a position in the Faculty of Religion, Culture and Society. Her research focuses on religious diversity, urban sociology, and feminist activism, particularly exploring intersections of religion, gender, and urban governance. She has contributed to groundbreaking studies on apostasy as political protest, interreligious dialogue in European cities, and the governance of religious pluralism.

Key achievements include the Best Book Award 2023 and ISSR Best Book Award 2023 for her work on interreligious encounters. She has also been recognized as Lecturer of the Year 2020 by her faculty. Her research has been published in esteemed journals like Religion, State and Society and Field Methods, with a focus on methodologies for analyzing social networks and religious policy.

Dr. Martínez-Ariño frequently engages in public discourse through podcasts and academic lectures, such as her keynote on urban governance of interreligious dialogue in 2024. She has edited major volumes like Interreligious Encounters in Europe and serves as a peer reviewer for multiple journals. Her work addresses contemporary challenges in secularism, migration policies, and the role of religion in public institutions.

Her research extends to Spain, France, and Argentina, examining themes like Jewish spatial practices, governance of Islam in French cities, and the impact of secular policies on minority religions. She has collaborated internationally, hosting scholars like Anis Issa and presenting at global conferences on feminist apostasy and religious pluralism.