Stefan Arvidsson

Stefan Arvidsson is Professor of History of Religions at Linnaeus University's Department of Cultural Sciences within the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. Previously, he served as Professor in the History of Religions at Stockholm University and was awarded his doctorate and became docent (associate professor) in History of Religions at Lund University in 2000 and 2007 respectively.

Arvidsson's research centers on the cultural history of modern ideologies, examining how ideas shape contemporary religious, political, and commercial contexts that influence how we live together. His work employs the historian of religions' approach, analyzing how ideas manifest in myths, legends, utopias, rituals, political actions, iconography, propaganda, and symbolic expressions. He focuses particularly on how these expressions persuade through appeals to authority (ethos) and emotions (pathos) rather than facts and reason (logos).

His scholarship spans three primary areas: (1) modern mythology shaped by capitalism, the bourgeoisie, and secularization; (2) the relationship between religion and politics in modern times; and (3) the history and relevance of the humanities for contemporary societies. His extensive publication record demonstrates consistent engagement with socialist thought, mythological studies, and religious-secular intersections.

Arvidsson's recent publications reveal a pronounced focus on socialist cultural traditions, examining how socialist movements have interacted with religious and secular traditions since the French Revolution. His work consistently bridges historical analysis with contemporary relevance, particularly examining how mythological thinking operates within modern political and cultural frameworks. The Red Faith series represents his most comprehensive exploration of socialist religious traditions, while his continued work on modern mythology shows enduring interest in how cultural narratives shape political imagination.

• CHOICE 2018 Outstanding Academic Title Award Winner for Morgonrodnad: socialismens stil och mytologi 1871–1914

Arvidsson has received significant research funding, particularly from Riksbankens jubileumsfond, supporting his major projects including Religion and Politics under Capitalism and the Red Faith series. His editorial work, including Socialist Imaginations: Utopias, Myths, and the Masses and The Oxford Handbook of Global Socialist Cultures, demonstrates his leadership in advancing scholarly discourse on socialist cultural traditions. His blog Heart in a Heartless World extends his academic work into more accessible formats, exploring socialist symbolism and mythology for broader audiences.