International Association for the History of Religions

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The International Association for the History of Religions (abbreviation IAHR) is an international organization that brings together personalities and societies that deal with religious studies. The IAHR was founded at the 7th International Congress on the History of Religions in 1950 in Amsterdam (Netherlands).

The Association supports the activity of scientists and scientific associations conducting research in the field of religious studies, in particular in the field of history of religion, the social dimension of religion and comparative studies. The organization wants to act as an international forum for critical, analytical and intercultural religious studies.

History of the Organization[edit]

The organization was founded in 1950 in Amsterdam and has been operating under its current name since 1955. The first president of the association was the Dutch theologian Gerard van der Leeuw. After Leeuw, Raffaele Pettazzoni became president, who was vice president under Leeuw. Pettazzoni was its president from 1950 to 1959.

Irregular congress meetings of religionists have been held since the beginning of the 20th century. It was not until the Seventh Congress, held in 1950, that a society was established called the International Association for the Study of the History of Religion (IASHR). In 1970, the society changed its name to The International Association for the History of Religions, with the abbreviation IAHR.

During the IAHR World Congress in Tokyo, Japan, in 2005, the IAHR grew to 37 national and 5 regional associations. In 2017, it had 42 national associations and 6 regional associations. As a member organization, it belongs to, among others, the International Council for Philosophy and Humanistic Studies (CIPSH), operating under the auspices of UNESCO.

Congress meetings of the IAHR have been held regularly at five-year intervals since 1950 (the last one was held in 2015 in Erfurt, Germany). Special congresses were also held twice in Brno, where they were organized by the Society for the Study of Religion (today the Czech Society for Religious Studies). In addition, a symposium took place in 2010 in Toronto, Canada. The next congresses is planned for 2020.

As such, the IAHR is not a forum for denominational, apologetic, or similar concerns, but is a premier international forum for the critical, analytical, and cross-cultural study of religion, past and present. In addition, the association provides organizational support for regional conferences.

Organizational Structure[edit]

The bodies of the Association are the general assembly, the international committee and the executive committee. The general assembly meets once every 5 years on the occasion of the congresses organized by the association. It is composed of all members and member organizations of the association. The international committee consists of two delegates representing each national or regional association. It meets during the congresses organized by the association and once between them to elect the executive committee, which consists of 12 members. The executive committee is responsible for the direct management of the organization.

The IAHR consists of the General Assembly of all members, which convenes every five years, the International Committee and the Executive Committee. The International Committee meets every 2½ years and consists of two voting delegates from each of the national or regional associations. It elects the 12-member Executive Board and makes recommendations on issues of importance to the IAHR.

Executive Committee[edit]

The main governing body of the IAHR is the Executive Committee. The current committee was elected in August 2020 for a 5-year term.

Current committee members: Tim Jensen as President, Amarjiva Lochan and Ann Taves as Vice-Presidents, Satoko Fujiwara as Secretary General, Ann Taves as Acting Deputy Secretary General, Dr. Andrea Rota as Treasurer, Dr. Milda Ališauskienė as Deputy Treasurer, and Dr. Katja Triplett as Publications Officer. Further members include Blanca Solares Altamirano, James Kapalo, Danoye Oguntola-Laguda, and David Thurfjell.

Publishing Activities[edit]

The Association publishes the scholarly journal Numen: International Review for the History of Religions, as well as its own publishing series The Study of Religion in a Global Context – the IAHR Book Series. It also publishes IAHR Bulletin and IAHR e-Bulletin Supplements.

External Links[edit]

Official Website of the International Association for the History of Religions
Website of the 20th International Congress 2010 in Toronto, Canada

Book on the Transactions of the Third International Congress for the History of Religions Published by American Theological Library Association Historical Monographs in 1908

Sources[edit]

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