معرفی
Peter Nynäs is a Professor of the Study of Religions at Åbo Akademi University, actively leading the Center of Excellence in Research on Religion and Social Exclusion (RelEx) from 2024-2028. His academic career spans over three decades with significant contributions to religious studies methodology and cross-cultural religious research.
His research interests focus on religious disaffiliation, worldviews among young adults, and the relationship between religion and social exclusion across cultural contexts. He has developed and implemented the Faith Q-sort methodology for assessing diverse spirituality and religiosity across 12 countries, contributing significantly to methodological innovation in religious studies. His work examines how worldviews relate to motivational values in different social movements and explores contemporary religious landscapes through mixed-methods approaches.
Nynäs' publication record shows a consistent output with 70 research outputs, including 37 book chapters, 20 articles, 8 edited journals, and 3 books. His recent work (2021-2024) demonstrates a strong focus on developing methodologies that bridge universalism and particularism in religious studies, with particular attention to young adults' religious and spiritual identities in a global context.
He has secured multiple research grants, including projects funded by the Academy of Finland and The Foundation for Åbo Akademi University. His current projects include Social Exclusion and Religion: A Cross-cultural Approach and New Methodology (RelEx), Young Adults and Religion in a Global Perspective (YARG), and previous work on Viewpoints to the world: Prototypes of worldview and their relation to motivational values.
Nynäs actively contributes to the academic community through conference presentations, organization of academic events, and supervision of students. His research connects with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals through its examination of social inclusion, cultural understanding, and religious diversity in contemporary societies.
