Member Associations
See Also: List of IAHR Affiliate Officers
This page gives brief information about the national and regional associations affiliated to the IAHR. For more information go over to their own homepages, as available, or write to the persons listed formally as officers of affiliated associations.
| A-B | Africa | Austria | Belgium | Brazil |
| C | Canada| Canada (Quebec) | China | Cuba | Czech Republic |
| D-H | Denmark | Eastern Africa | Europe | Finland | France |Germany | Greece | Hungary |
| I-L | India | Indonesia | Israel | Italy | Japan | Latin America |
| M-N | Mexico | Netherlands | New Zealand | Nigeria | Norway |
| P-R | Poland | Romania | Russia |
| S | Slovakia | South and Southeast Asia | Southern Africa | South Korea | Spain | Sweden | Switzerland |
| T-U | Turkey | Ukraine | United Kingdom | United States |
Africa (Regional Association): AASR (African Association for the Study of Religions)
Website: http://www.a-asr.org
The African Association for the Study of Religions was founded in 1992 at Harare, Zimbabwe, in the context of a regional conference of the IAHR. It was formally affiliated at the XVIIth Congress of the IAHR at Mexico City in 1995. The membership includes regional representatives in West Africa, East and Central Africa, and Southern Africa, as well as members from other parts of the world. The ASSR co-hosted the XVIIIth Congress of the IAHR in Durban, South Africa in 2000.
By mutual agreement the AASR adopted The Journal of Religion in Africa as its official journal. [TOP]
Austria: ÖGRW (Österreichische Gesellschaft für Religionswissenschaft)
Website: http://www.univie.ac.at/oegrw/
The Austrian Association was founded in 1996. It became affiliated with the IAHR at the XVIIIth congress in 2000. [TOP]
Belgium/Luxembourg: Société belgo-luxembourgeoise d'Histoire des Religions
The Société belgo-luxembourgeoise d'Histoire des Religions, builds on the long tradition of the Belgian association.
A bulletin is published which is entitled Hieros. [TOP]
Brazil: ABHR/BAHR (Associacão Brasileira de História das Religiões/Brasilian Association for History of Religion)
Website: http://www.abhr.org.br/
The ABHR was established in 1999 and since then it promotes annual congresses meeting researchers of different formations, as historians, anthropologists, psychologists, philosophers, sociologists, scientists of the religion and others. The ABHR became affiliated with the IAHR at the XVIIIth congress in 2000. The ABHR publishes the Collection Studies of the ABHR, congregating the most relevant papers presented in the annual congresses.
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Canada: CSSR/SCÉR (Canadian Society for the Study of Religions/La Société Canadienne pour l'Étude de la Religion)
Website: http://www.ccsr.ca/cssr/
There are two IAHR-affiliated associations in Canada, one Anglophone and one Francophone (see Québec). The CSSR/SCÉR hosted the 1980 IAHR congress in Winnipeg. The association provides a meeting place for all who are involved in the academic study of religion, for example, anthropologists, historians, phenomenologists, philosophers, psychologists, sociologists, and theologians. The society fosters an interdisciplinary discourse in order to arrive at a better, integrated understanding of religious phenomena. It encourages research in the development of the study of religion with particular reference to the Canadian scene. And it promotes a critical examination of the goals, methods, and styles of teaching demanded by the discipline (loosely cited from Article II of the Constitution). In their efforts to encourage young scholars, the CSSR/ SCÉR offers student essay cash awards.
The CSSR/SCÉR publishes the journal Studies in Religion/Sciences religieuses and CSSR/SCÉR Bulletin. [TOP]
Canada (Quebec): SQÉR/QSSR (La Société québécoise pour l'étude de la religion/Quebec society for the study of religion)
Website: http://www.uqam.ca/sqer
This Francophone association was founded (in agreement with the Canadian Society of the Study of Religion) as an independent body which shares the Canadian representation in the IAHR. Its aims as stated in its statutes are: "Le but de la Société est de promouvoir la recherche, l'enseignement et la diffusion des connaissances dans les disciplines ayant pour objet l'étude de la religion. Elle réunit des spécialistes provenant du Québec, du Canada français et d'autres horizons géographiques et culturels, qui s'intéressent à la production québécoise ou canadienne dans le domaine de l'étude de la religion."
Recently the association put a motion forward concerning IAHR language policy. Please take the time to read it.
Concerning publications, the association writes: "La SQÉR a des liens étroits avec les revues Religiologiques, seule revue francophone de science des religions publiée en format électronique, et avec Studies in Religion / Sciences religieuses."[TOP]
China: CARS (Chinese Association for the Study of Religion)
After the development of contacts over a number of years the Chinese association was affiliated at the IAHR Congress in Rome 1990. A Regional Conference of the IAHR was held in Beijing in 1992 of which the proceedings have been published.
The Chinese association publishes a regular newsletter. [TOP]
Cuba: ACER (Asociación Cubana de Estudios sobre la Religión)
The Cuban association became affiliated with the IAHR at the XVIIth congress in 1995.[TOP]
Czech Republic: Ceska spolecnost pro religionistiku
Czech Society for the Study of Religion
Website: http://www.phil.muni.cz/relig/cssr-intro.php
The Czech association hosted three special conferences of the IAHR in 1994, 1999 and 2008 in Brno.
The official journal of the association is Religio. Revue pro Religionistiku. [TOP]
Denmark: DAHR (Dansk Selskab for Religionshistorie)
Danish Association for the History of Religions
Website: http://www.dahr.dk
The Danish association became affiliated with the IAHR at the XVth congress in 1985. The DAHR co-hosted a special IAHR conference in Aarhus in 1996.
The DAHR publishes a bulletin.[TOP]
East Africa (Regional Association): EAASR (Eastern African Association for the Study of Religions)
The Eastern African Association was founded informally at the IAHR Special Conference in Nairobi (May 1999) and was formally launched May 12, 2000. It became affiliated with the IAHR at the XVIIIth congress in 2000.[TOP]
Europe (Regional Association): EASR (European Association for the Study of Religions)
Website: http://www.easr.eu
The European Association was founded at the IAHR Special Conference in Cracow, Poland (May 2000). It became affiliated with the IAHR at the XVIIIth congress in 2000.
The EASR supports two kinds of networks: 1) a network of electronic discussion groups for various language regions and 2) a network of general links for its European Member Associations. The elements of these networks are edited and managed by various independent teams. The EASR facilitates their interaction but does not assume responsibility for their contents. The main reason for having more than one electronic discussion list is to avoid domination by any one language. Within the various language regions it may be possible to discuss different things in different ways. This contributes to the cultural richness of Europe. At the same time dual memberships will contribute to the network effect.
The electronic discussion groups are: Synkron (Nordic languages plus English), Yggdrasill (German), Dolmen (English), Tonantzin (Spanish/ Portuguese/ Italian), Candide (French), and Most (East European languages). [TOP]
Finland: Suomen Uskontotieteellinen Seura Religionsvetenskapliga Sällskapet i Finland Finnish Society for the Study of Religion
Website: http://www.sus.utu.fi.
The Finnish Society for the Study of Religion (FSSR) has held regional IAHR conferences in 1973, 1990 and 1997. It publishes Temenos, a Nordic journal In Comparative Religion to which contributions are drawn from all of Scandinavia and elsewhere. The association hosted a conference on the topic "Method & Theory in the Study of Folk Religion" at the Linnasmäki Conference Centre in Turku, Finland, 23 October - 25 October 2003 marking the 40th anniversary of the SOCIETY and the 40th anniversary of the Department of Comparative Religion and Folkloristics at the University of Turku. It also host a conference on "Exercising Power: The Role of Religions in Concord and Conflict" at Linnasmäki Conference Center in Turku, 17 August - 20 August 2005 [TOP]
France: Société Ernest-Renan. Société française d'histoire des religions
The French affiliate to the IAHR is named after Ernest Renan. The first in the series of congresses which led to the foundation of the IAHR took place in Paris in 1900. An IAHR congress was held in 1923 in Paris and an IAHR regional conference also in Paris in 1993.
The association publishes a bulletin. [TOP]
Germany: DVRW (Deutsche Vereinigung für Religionswissenschaft)
Website: http://www.dvrw.de:80/
Germany hosted the IAHR congress in Marburg in 1960, a special IAHR conference also in Marburg in 1988, and an IAHR regional conference in Hildesheim in 1998.
The German association publishes the journal: Zeitschrift für Religionswissenschaft. [TOP]
Greece: GSSCR (Greek Society for the Study of Culture and Religion)
The Greek Association was established in 2003 and it became affiliated to the IAHR in Tokyo, 2005.[TOP]
Hungary: Magyar Vallástudományi Tarsaság
Hungarian Association for the Academic Study of Religions
Website: http://silver.drk.hu/MVT/
Members of the Hungarian association have participated in IAHR events over many years spanning the political changes in eastern Europe. [TOP]
India: IASR (Indian Association for the Study of Religion)
The Indian association became affiliated to the IAHR at the XVIIth congress in 1995. The IASR co-hosted an IAHR Regional Conference on the topic "Religions in the Indic Civilization" at The India International Centre, Delhi, 18 December - 21 December 2003. [TOP]
Indonesia: Indonesian Association for the Study and Research of Religion
The Indonesian association was affiliated to the IAHR at the XVIth congress in 1990. The association hosted an IAHR Regional Conference on "Religious Harmony: Problems, Practice and Education" in Yogyakarta and Semarang, Indonesia, 27 September - 3 October 2004.[TOP]
Israel: Israel Society for the History of Religion
The Israeli association is one of the older affiliates of the IAHR. [TOP]
Italy: Società italiana di storia delle religioni
Website: http://ww2.unime.it/persefone/societa/societa.html
The Italian association held two IAHR congresses in Rome: the VIIth in 1955 and the XVIth in 1990. [TOP]
Japan: Nihon Shukyo Gakkai
The Japanese Association for Religious Studies
Website: http://wwwsoc.nii.ac.jp/jars/E/001_intro/index-e.html
This association is the largest affiliate of the IAHR and is also one of the oldest, having been founded in 1930. Japan hosted a major IAHR Congress in 1958 and the 2005 IAHR World Congress: "Religion: Conflict and Peace" (website: http://www.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/iahr2005/).
Its journal, in Japanese, is entitled Shukyo Kenkyu. [TOP]
Latin America (Regional Association): ALER (Asociación Latino Americana para el Estudio de las Religiones / Latin American Association for the Study of Religions)
The Latin American association was founded in 1990 and affiliated to the IAHR in the same year at the XVIth congress. It includes members from a number of countries in Latin America, many of whom attended the IAHR Congress in Mexico City in 1995. It hosted an IAHR regional conference in Bogota in 1996. [TOP]
Mexico: Sociedad Mexicana para el estudio de las Religiones / Mexican Society for the Study of Religions
Website: http://ceaa.colmex.mx/smer/indexa.htm
The Mexican association hosted the XVIIth congress of the IAHR in 1995. [TOP]
Netherlands: NGG (Nederlands Genootschap voor Godsdienstwetenschap)
Netherlands Association for the Science of Religions
Website: http://www.godsdienstwetenschap.nl
The Netherlands hosted the international congress at which the IAHR was institutionally founded, in 1950, at Amsterdam. It hosted an IAHR regional conference in Groningen in 1989 (which was co-hosted by the German association, DVRG).
The NGG publishes a newsletter in Dutch.[TOP]
New Zealand: NZASR (New Zealand Association for the Study of Religions)
Website: http://www.nzasr.ac.nz
The New Zealand association became affiliated to the IAHR at the XVIIth congress in 1995.
The association publishes a newsletter called Yana twice a year and maintains a mailinlist (at http://lists.otago.ac.nz/listinfo/nzasr). [TOP]
Nigeria: NASR (Nigerian Association for the Study of Religions)
Nigeria is one of only two countries in Africa to have its own association which is affiliated to the IAHR.
A journal is published entitled: Religions. [TOP]
Norway: NRF (Norsk Religionshistorisk Forening)
Norwegian Association for the History of Religions
Website: http://nrf.uib.no/
Members of the Norwegian association have participated regularly in IAHR events and also in cooperative activities in Scandinavia. The Norwegian association publishes a bulletin in Norwegian. The NRF in collaboration with EASR hosted an IAHR special conference: "The Globalisation and Localisation of Religion", Bergen, Norway, 8 May - 11 May 2003. [TOP]
Poland: Polskie Towarzystwo Religioznawcze
(Polish Society for the Study of Religions)
Website: http://www.ptr.edu.pl/iso/start/szczeg.htm
The Polish association hosted IAHR conferences in 1979, 1989 and 2000. Its journal, in Polish, is entitled Przeglad Religioznawcy. [TOP]
Romania: RAHR (Romanian Association for the History of Religions)
Website: http://www.rahr.ro
The Romanian Association was established in 1997 and it became affiliated to the IAHR in Tokyo, 2005.
It publishes two academic journals: ARCHAEVS (1997-) and STVDIA ASIATICA (2000-). [TOP]
Russia: The Russian Association for the History of World Religions
A Russian association was constituted as a successor to the IAHR-affiliated Soviet association formed shortly before the major political changes. Since then, other changes have occured and following several years of negotiations to re-organize the association in such a way as to reflect the dynamics of the academic study of religion in Russia, the Russian Association in September 2006, was reorganised and renamed The Russian Association for the History of World Religions. [TOP]
Slovakia: SSŠN/SASR (Slovenská spolocnost' pre stúdium nábozenstiev pri SAV Bratislava/Slovak Association for the Study of Religions)
The Slovakian association is a reorganized association formerly a part of the Czechoslovakian IAHR affiliate. The Society for the Study of Religions was founded in 1990 in the Czech Republic and in 1991 Prof. Komorovský joined this society’s committee as a representative of religionists in Slovakia. The Slovak Association for the Study of Religions was founded in 1992 in Bratislava while its sister Czech organization was renamed the Czech Society for the Study of Religions. Both associations have agreed to continue cooperation in the future. The Slovak Association became an IAHR affiliate at the XVIIIth congress in 2000. The association is open to researchers in various disciplines, e.g. ethnology, history, archaeology, oriental studies, psychology, sociology, and theology. Students of the science of religion are also admitted. According to its programme, the association encourages universities and the Slovak Academy of Sciences. The association also arranges lectures for the general public.
The SSŠN publishes a journal, in Slovakian, entitled Hieron.[TOP]
South and Southeast Asia: SSEASR (South and Southeast Asian Association for the Study of Culture and Religion)
Website: http://sseasr.org.
The South and Southeast Asian association was established in 2005 during its inaugural conference in New Delhi, India, which was an IAHR Regional Conference. This is the first time that scholars from the whole region were joined together in a common academic endeavor. The SSEASR became affiliated to the IAHR in Tokyo, 2005. The association is a regional one, and brings together scholars and institutions from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, as well as interested scholars from many other parts of the world. The association is open to researchers in various disciplines, e.g. history, linguistics, political science, anthropology, sociology, literature, cultural studies, law, folklore etc.
The SSEASR will publish a journal, newsletter and books. [TOP]
South Korea: KAHR (Korean Association for the History of Religion)
Website: http://www.kahr21.org/index.php
Members of the Korean association have been attending IAHR congresses for a number of years.
A journal is published in Korean entitled Chongkyo Yonku. [TOP]
Southern Africa: ASRSA (Association for the Study of Religion in Southern Africa)
Website: http://asrs.ukzn.ac.za
This association is largely based in, but not strictly limited to South Africa. Thus its members played a significant role at the IAHR conference at Harare in 1992. It co-hosted the XVIIIth IAHR congress in 2000.
Its own conferences are held regularly and a journal is published entitled Journal for the Study of Religion. [TOP]
Spain: SECR (Sociedad Española de Ciencias de las Religiones) Spanish Association for the Sciences of Religions
Website: http://www.secr.es
The Spanish association became affiliated to the IAHR at the 1995 XVIIth congress.
The association had published a bulletin in Spanish (BSECR: Boletín de la Sociedad Española de Ciencias de las Religiones) from number 1 (1994) to number 19 (2004). In 2007 the Bulletin has changed to an international journal including contributions in Spanish and English, named Bandue. Revista de la Sociedad Española de Ciencias de las Religiones / Bandue. Review of the Spanish Association for the Sciences of Religions. [TOP]
Sweden: SSRF (Svenska Samfundet för Religionshistorisk Forskning)
Swedish Association for Research in Comparative Religion
Website: http://www.religionsforskning.se
Sweden hosted the 1970 IAHR World Congress in Stockholm and held an IAHR Special Conference in 2007 at Södertörn University.
The membership journal is CHAOS. [TOP]
Switzerland: SGR/SSSR (Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Religionswissenschaft/Société Suisse pour la Science des Religions)
Website: http://www.sgr-sssr.ch
The webpage (in german and french) provides an extensive information on the activities of the association. A bulletin is published giving extensive details of activities in Switzerland relating to the study of religions. [TOP]
Turkey: TÜDTAD (Türkiye Dinler Tarihi Dernegi) TAHR (Turkish Association for the History of Religions)
Website: http://www.tahr.org/
The Turkish Association was established in 2004, however, many of the members fondly remember Prof. Annemarie Schimmel's efforts during the 1950's to help place the history of religions on more firmer ground in Turkey. The new association consists of 86 members from 22 different universities in Turkey. It became affiliated to the IAHR in Tokyo, 2005.
Ukraine: UARR (Ukrayins’ka Asotsiatsiya Religiyeznavtsiv) (Ukrainian Association of Religion Researchers)
The Ukrainian association publishes a bulletin entitled Ukrayins’ke religiyeznavstvo (‘Ukrainian Religious Studies’). [TOP]
United Kingdom: BASR (British Association for the Study of Religions)
Website: http://basr.org.uk
The BASR (formerly BAHR) is one of the older affiliates of the IAHR and hosted an IAHR congress in 1975 in Lancaster.
It has published its own bulletin for many years. A conference is held annually [TOP]
United States: NAASR (North American Association for the Study of Religion)
Webpage: http://www.as.ua.edu/naasr/
This association was affiliated to the IAHR at the XVIth congress in 1990 and now provides the direct organizational link for US specialists in religion. It is a constituent member of the Council of North American Societies for the Study of Religion.
NAASR holds meetings concurrently with the American Academy of Religion (AAR) and Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) annual meetings and has recently been accepted as “Related Scholarly Organization”. NAASR publishes a quarterly journal entitled Method and Theory in the Study of Religion (MTSR) which is the only international periodical devoted exclusively to methodological and theoretical topics in the academic study of religion. It also publishes a book series entitled Key Thinkers in the Study of Religion. [TOP]
