Projects / Programmes
Everyday religious practices and convertism in Slovenia (1918-1941)
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 7.00.00 |
Interdisciplinary research |
|
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| H250 |
Humanities |
Contemporary history (since 1914) |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 6.01 |
Humanities |
History and Archaeology |
everyday religious practices, convertism, historical anthropology, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Researchers (1)
| no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
29463 |
PhD Gašper Mithans |
Historiography |
Head |
2016 - 2017 |
99 |
Organisations (1)
Abstract
In the Kingdom of SHS/Yugoslavia, religions and legal systems of different backgrounds and traditions met. As the key upholder of the “old order”, the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) in the Slovenian part of Yugoslavia maintained its dominant position, yet was confronted by the multiconfessionalism of the new state. The process of modernisation was slowed down due to general conservatism and the economic backwardness of the state. Various groups within the Slovenian RCC reacted differently to this process, which shattered its political unity. In order to analyse these particularities and to produce research comparable to studies of the situation in other regions of Europe, the relations between different religious communities in the territory and the historical contexts of different European regions must be compared.
The project is divided into three sections:
In the first part, the mechanisms and relations of power between the main actors in the religious field in Slovenia in the period between the World Wars will be researched. Here, the project originates from a problematisation of Bourdieu's conceptualisation of the religious field (the symbolic dimension).
The second part will complement preliminary findings through a study of indirect and direct interactions between laypeople and “religious specialists” in the case of the majority religious community (Catholics). This analysis emphasises social relations and everyday religious practice (the social dimension). Both theoretically based parts will provide the theoretical and conceptual framework for the last part.
In the framework of a case study of religious conversion and inter-religious relations in interwar Slovenia, the phenomenon of religious conversion will be studied, where we follow the recent trend in history and anthropology that emphasises the plurality of social identities. By researching the cultural transfers of religious conversion, we can uncover important aspects of the transformations, continuities and transmissions in a multicultural society.
The core objectives of the research are:
- the construction of a theoretical and conceptual framework for the analysis of “strategies” and “tactics” in the religious field;
- a working definition of the term layperson;
- identification and definition of different types of religious conversion;
- analysis of selected “converts” and the reactions of religious communities to conversions.
Taking into account the national (Slovenia) and the regional (South-eastern Europe) historical context, the inappropriate use of “Western” concepts will be modified and reflected upon. In this way, the first pertinent research on conversion in this territory will be carried out.
With a historical-anthropological scientific apparatus, we will carry out archive research (Archdiocesan Archives of Ljubljana, Archdiocesan Archives of Maribor, Archives of the Republic of Slovenia, Historical Archives of Celje, Historical Archives of Ljubljana, Historical Archives of Ptuj, Diocesan Archives of Trieste, Archives of the Serbian Orthodox Church Parish of Ljubljana, etc.), brief fieldwork aimed at gathering material, and discursive analysis of selected texts. Narration through (auto)biographical sources, specific personal heirlooms, newspapers, and visual material will be examined. As research on conversion is to a large extent based on so-called ego-documents, a specific methodological treatment will be dedicated to this. The focus in all source analysis will be on critical reading, taking into account the regimes of historicity.
The results of the project will be included in the relevant scientific discourses in the form of scientific articles, guest lectures, participation at scientific conferences and organisation of a panel on conversion. In communication with the local, Slovenian, and international environment, we will largely rely on the project web site and on-going projects. Research findings will also be transmitted into the pedagogical
Significance for science
In interwar Slovenia and generally in the former Yugoslavia, until recently a consistent and theoretically substantiated study of the religious field has not been carried out yet. Aspects of the “religion of the laity”, their activities and the structures generated by religious institutions, have namely been dealt with only marginally before. Through this project, an almost wholly overlooked topic – religious converts in interwar Slovenia – has been studied in detail for the first time. The topic is a representation of the reactions of individuals and the social environment to ”anomalies” in the area of religion. A historical-anthropological approach has been applied, which in spite of its multidisciplinary openness retains its pertinence. This methodological approach will also enable a thorough research of a topic that has been overlooked also due to the lack of “classical” archival sources. In this manner, the aim was to overcome two obstacles faced by historical anthropology, in particular in Slovenia but to a certain extent elsewhere in Europe as well. On the one hand, instead of building on their complementarity, the notion that history and anthropology are antithetical is still firmly grounded, while on the other hand, in accordance with the broad field covered by historical anthropology, there exist many studies that, following current trends, present themselves as historical-anthropological even when they are not. An exchange between history and anthropology, a broadening of the growing interest towards culture and ethnography amongst historians, or towards history and archival sources amongst anthropologists, is above all a modification of research practice within the particular disciplines, rather than an equal exchange and cooperation between the disciplines. Such works often appeal to their (supposed) interdisciplinary status. In Slovenian academia a permanent forum for discussion and critical reflexivity on scientific production in humanities and social sciences is of vital importance, and the first stage in this direction is to further stimulate cooperation between history and anthropology. However, significantly more effort would be needed to ground historical anthropology as an independent prominent field of research in the milieu in question. Historical anthropology is an established field of research because its very analytic procedures critically assess the problematic nature of the history itself, the propositions of social theory and interdisciplinarity, the practices of its own domain, as well as fragile epistemologies of present scholarship. This quality places it on the periphery of conventional academic practice. Introduction of anthropological methods in the study of religions by complementing archival research with fieldwork gives the project additional significance. One of the main aims of the research was therefore to promote and further the use of historical-anthropological methodology in Slovenia in the research and pedagogical process and mutual inclusion in international scientific exchange. The question of what historical anthropology is and should be scholars must address in the relevant networks worldwide.
Significance for the country
Final and some of the intermediary results of the research project will be freely accessible to all public institutions managing socioeconomic development, improvements in education, religious and intercultural communication, and preserving cultural heritage, and in particular for: - improving dialogue of state institutions with religious communities and strengthening of cooperation among all members of civil society; - ensuring modern knowledge and material for the study of history, anthropology, and other disciplines specially in relation to religion; - dialogue between religious communities; - questions of identity construction; - encouraging the activities of researchers engaged in the field, and the offering of services to the public sector and individuals; - preservation of local material and intangible cultural heritage and enabling its accessibility to the wider public. The results of the project have been partially included in the pedagogical process of undergraduate studies in Slovenia and used to broaden our international academic network. The project leader is employed as a researcher at the SRC Koper, but also worked as an external collaborator at the Department of History at the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Primorska. Individual content as well as methodological and theoretical novelties have been thus indirectly integrated into the study programme at the mentioned faculty. The results of the research have therefore contributed to the reduction of shortcomings of Slovenian universities at the level of quality and competitiveness at the international and European level, which is the goal specially emphasised by the National Research and Developmental Programme (NRDP) (1.2.2). Connecting religious communities and various academic professions, mainly through organisation of the symposium and the establishment of the website, contributes to a closer linking of culture, science, and education, with the aim of improving the quality of research and teaching, which is one of the tasks listed in the NRDP (4.5.2). The intention is to open up the space for critical social debate and multidisciplinary initiatives. Through the development of historical-anthropological approaches, we have attempted to enrich the education of highly educated personnel, which is of critical importance for the Slovenian society. Particularly through connecting with the interdisciplinary European project “Burnt in memories”, a wide network of local and national stakeholders in the fields of culture, media, and education has been addressed. For Slovenia, the project was also important to raise an awareness, recognition, and proper valuation of cultural heritage in the field of religion and the coexistence of cultures.
Most important scientific results
Interim report,
final report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Interim report,
final report
