The Hungarian Association for the Academic Study of Religion was founded in 1992 by Mihály Hoppál, the world-known expert on forms and development of shamanism. Throughout the past decades, the Association has published a number of important monographs both in Hungarian and English, and organized scholarly meetings, discussions, and conferences.  The Association considers its vocation centered around the scholarly research of religious issues of various kinds, such as the historical studies of positive religious forms, comparative investigations, philosophical and theological problems, and also the political role religion-related forms have played in societies. Recently, one of the central subject matters has been the widespread phenomenon of religious persecution on religious and/or political grounds. In the future, the Association intends to pursue its research profile in the framework of the ‘Karl Kerényi Program’ named after the important figure of twentieth century scholarship of religious history, psychology and philosophy.

Elected leaders of the Hungarian Association for the Academic Study of Religion:

Prof. Dr. Balázs M. Mezei (president)

Prof. Dr. Ábrahám Kovács (secretary)