About
Us

The Oxford Symposium on Religious Studies brings together scholars of religion from a wide background, both internationally and in terms of their specific religious interests. This allows for broad engagement and is different from narrow specialist conferences. The great majority of past participants have found this approach rewarding and professionally helpful.

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Typically, our delegates hail from different faiths, and discussion is conducted with openness and mutual respect. We do not shy away from controversy, either, regularly thinking about religion and politics – how religion affects political life, for example, in the USA, UK, Israel, and Muslim fundamentalist states, and how to enable pluralism and tolerance between societies with clashing ideologies.

The Oxford Symposium on Religious Studies is a forum for discourse and the presentation of papers by scholars who have a particular interest in the study of religion. Canon Brian Mountford MBE, former Vicar of University Church of St Mary the Virgin, Oxford and Fellow of St Hilda's College at the University of Oxford, will host the March 2026 and July 2026 session.

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You are invited to make a presentation and lead a discussion on an aspect of religious studies, or you may wish to participate as a non-presenting observer. Your presentation must adhere to an abstract of about 150 words approved by the Programme Committee of the Symposium.