Celebrations of Knuuttila and Niiniluoto

Below are some photos from last week’s Monday, 14 April, when two consecutive events were organized to celebrate Simo Knuuttila and Ilkka Niiniluoto. The first occasion was a workshop for Knuuttila organized at the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies. The second event of the day was a farewell lecture by Niiniluoto at the Small Hall of the Main Building of the University of Helsinki.

Simo Knuuttila in discussion

Some of the workshop participants

Niiniluoto giving his lecture

Audience at the Small Hall

Jaakko Hintikka attended both events

Academy's CoE Brochures Published

The Academy of Finland has published a brochure on its Centres of Excellence in Research Programme 2014-2019 including our CoE Reason and Religious Recognition. The brochures are available both in English and in Finnish. Pdf versions of these can be downloaded here:

• Leading the Way in Science [English]
• Tieteen huipulla [Finnish]

Theology, Philosophy, and Cognitive Science on Religion

AID, the new forum for interdisciplinary conversation coordinated by the Finnish Centre of Excellence in the Philosophy of the Social Sciences, organized a discussion session at the University of Helsinki on Monday 7 April. The topic of the event was "Religion: Viewed from Theology, Philosophy, and Cognitive Science". The themes were obviously important also for our own CoE, and especially for its Team 3, which focuses on contemporary philosophy of religion, and includes a subgroup of cognitive study of religion.

The interesting themes were discussed by Simo Knuuttila, Professor of Theological Ethics and Philosophy of Religion, and Ilkka Pyysiäinen, University Lecturer in Study of Religions. The discussion was moderated by Academy Professor Uskali Mäki, all three being affiliated with the University of Helsinki, and Pyysiäinen also counting as a part of our very own Team 3 mentioned above.

Both discussants first gave their own short presentations and then commented on each other's views. Finally, the floor was opened for a wider discussion in which the audience could also take part.

Simo Knuuttila and Ilkka Pyysiäinen

A Visit to St. Petersburg

Representing the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies, the University of Helsinki’s Faculty of Theology, and the Centre of Excellence Reason and Religious Recognition, a three-person team consisting of Sami Pihlström, Anne Birgitta Pessi, and myself visited the Smolny College of the St. Petersburg State University during 13-14 March. Our inviting hosts were Marianna Sakhnovich and Danila Raskov.

All three of us gave presentations related with our own units and research themes at the Joint Theoretical Seminar on Religion and Society. We then heard a talk by Dmitry Panchenko on “Warfare and Burial: A Suggestion Concerning the Spread of Cremation in the Late Bronze Age Europe”. The overall purpose of the discussions was to continue and to further develop forms of cooperation between Smolny College and the institutions represented by the three of us. In connection with the visit, we also had a chance to meet Tatiana Artemyeva and Lyubov Bugaeva.

My traveling companions Anne Birgitta Pessi and Sami Pihlström

Our hosts Danila Raskov and Marianna Sakhnovich

Dmitry Panchenko 

Tatiana Artemyeva and Lyubov Bugaeva

Chancellor's and Vice-Rector's Visit

On Thursday the 6th of March, the Chancellor of the University of Helsinki Thomas Wilhelmsson visited our CoE together with Vice-Rector Keijo Hämäläinen. The Chancellor is in charge of promoting the sciences and the university's social interaction, and also of supervising the interests and activities of the university. The Vice-Rector's responsibilities include research, academic affairs, infrastructure, information technology, innovation activity, and relationships with government research institutes.

Risto Saarinen and Outi Lehtipuu started by presenting the central research ideas of the CoE

Ismo Dunderberg, Virpi Mäkinen, Thomas Wilhelmsson, and Keijo Hämäläinen

After presenting the research themes together with Outi Lehtipuu, Risto Saarinen introduced the CoE members. Then we heard Janne Mattila and Ritva Palmén talk about their individual topics. Minna Hietamäki also told us about her work closely related with the research themes in the context of The Lutheran World Federation. Saarinen presented his new web pages linked to the Research Database TUHAT, and Joona Salminen continued by officially launching the CoE's own web pages. We then had time for free discussion. Books from international publishers by CoE members were also on display in the Faculty Hall where the meeting took place.

Symbolism of Hands demonstrated by Saarinen and Lehtipuu

Joona Salminen launching the website

Minna Hietamäki discovering a chalice

Sami Pihlström to Become a New Professor at UH

On Friday the 31^st of January, the Chancellor of the University of Helsinki gave a decision according to which professor Sami Pihlström may be appointed to a professorship in Philosophy of Religion at the Faculty of Theology. In October 2012, the Dean of the Faculty had appointed a search committee to prepare the appointment process. In January 2014, the committee proposed Pihlström for the position. The faculty will now proceed into preparing the employment contract, which has to be signed by both parties before the actual recruitment takes place. The Chancellor’s decision comes as very welcome news also for the CoE, whose team 3 on Contemporary Philosophy of Religion Pihlström leads.

A January of Firsts

The CoE started its official existence in the beginning of this calendar year. In traditional metaphysician’s jargon, this institutional coming-into-being constituted a ‘substantial change’. As a consequence, various types of activities started running as well, making this month a January of firsts.

On Thursday the 16^th, we had our opening gathering, where information was provided, and to some extent, the first year also sketched. Tuula Sunnarborg, the Financial Planner of the Faculty of Theology started by initiating us into administrative practices and relevant IT systems. The CoE Director Risto Saarinen then continued by discussing practical issues and upcoming dates of importance. After the event, our Coordinator Lauri Uusi-Hakala e-mailed a memo of the meeting together with the slides of Tuula’s presentation to all the participants.

The 23^rd of January brought the beginning of our weekly informal Thursday afternoon coffee breaks. Ritva Palmén, who works as a Research Doctor in Team 2 (Medieval and Early Modern Thought) will be running this cosy event which takes place in the comfortable surroundings of the department library.

On Tuesday the 28^th, all the teams met among themselves at the same time in the afternoon. Our Team 3 (Contemporary Philosophy of Religion) had invited Professor Arto Laitinen from the University of Tampere to give a presentation on theories of recognition. This was a very good, informative and fruitful occasion, which resulted in further discussion and an inspiring exchange of ideas. After the meeting at the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies, whose Director our team leader Sami Pihlström also is, there was a more informal gathering where all CoE members from different teams could take part. This is a format of team meetings and common gatherings that is intended to be repeated several times during the first year.

On the 30^th of January, the Faculty of Theology then organized a research evening at the University of Helsinki Banquet Rooms on Unioninkatu. In the programme, there were talks on EU funding and research communication, a guest lecture, presentations of research projects, and introductions of new employees of the Faculty. After these, the participants proceeded to have dinner and to enjoy an evening of congenial conversation.

Ilkka Pyysiäinen and Arto Laitinen, the guest of Team 3