Ola Sigurdson, Professor, Systematic Theology

Birth and Education

I was born in Dalstorp in 1966 and grew up in Ulricehamn, both small towns in the Southwest part of Sweden. In 1985, after graduating from gymnasium, I moved to Gothenburg to begin university studies for a bachelor of arts in philosophy, literary studies and economics, after which I completed a three year program of study at the theological seminary in Örebro. In 1991 I entered Lund University to achieve a doctoral degree in systematic theology, which I earned in 1996 with the dissertation Karl Barth som den andre: En studie i den svenska teologins Barth-reception [Karl Barth as the Other: A Study of the reception of Barth in Swedish Theology]; two years later I was appointed “docent” in systematic theology (habilitation) at the same university. In 2008 I was appointed professor of systematic theology at the University of Gothenburg and have worked in this capacity to the present.

Academic Positions and Research Interests

After finishing my doctoral program I worked as a part-time lecturer in systematic theology at the Stockholm School of Theology and a part-time research scholar at Lund for a project financed by the Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Foundation: “Värdetraditioner, värdekonflikter och värdegemenskap i kulturarv och nutida samhälle”. In December 1999, I was awarded the Torgny Segerstedt “Pro futura” scholarship by the Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Foundation in collaboration with the Swedish Collegium of Advanced Research (SCAS) in Uppsala. Within the framework of this four years scholarship I spent the spring term of 2000 at SCAS in Uppsala and the academic year of 2001-2002 at the Centre for Advanced Religious and Theological Studies (CARTS), Faculty of Divinity, and Wolfson College, both of which were situated in Cambridge University, England. During this period I formed a strong attachment to Cambridge University, which continues to date with regular visits to colleagues still working there.

I began functioning as senior lecturer at the Department of Religious Studies, University of Gothenburg in January 2003, but have been on periodic part-time research sabbaticals as well. These ended in July 2008 when I began working full time at the Department as professor of “tros- och livsåskådningsvetenskap”, which includes systematic theology, ethics and the philosophy of religion.

Over the years I have developed a broad range of research interests, one being an interest in the intersection between traditional systematic theology and continental theory. In this regard I have written about the question of embodiment in the Western philosophical and theological tradition in the book Himmelska kroppar (Heavenly Bodies; 2006); I have also collaborated with Jayne Svenungsson of Stockholm School of Theology to publish the anthology Postmodern teologi (2006). My second area of interest has been in political philosophy and political theology, from which has come the books Den lyckliga filosofin (The Happy Philosophy; 2000) and Det postsekulära tillståndet (The Post-Secular Condition; 2009). Lastly there is my interest in the theology of culture—i.e. a theological reflection upon contemporary popular culture such as film, literature and music. This interest has thus far resulted in the popular collection of essays Världen är en främmande plats (The World is a Strange Place; 2003) and the anthology Film och religion (Film and Religion; 2005), edited together with Tomas Axelson of Dalarna University College.

Ongoing Research

I have recently published a book on the relationship between religion, modernity and politics, which could be described as an attempt to understand the religious genealogy of modernity. This book, entitled Det postsekulära tillståndet: Religion, modernitet, politik (The Post-Secular Condition: Religion, Modernity, Politics), was published in September 2009. Beyond this, I am presently working on two ongoing research projects. The first concerns the use of theology by the Slovene philosopher and psychoanalyst Slavoj Žižek (as well as several other radical philosophers); the second concerns the relationship between religion, culture and health. This latter project involves the collaboration of professor of literary studies Yvonne Leffler, professor of political science Marie Demker and several younger researchers. During the academic year 2010-2011 I will pursue these projects as a resident member of Princeton’s Center of Theological Inquiry.

Miscellaneous Activities

Apart from my work as a professor at the University of Gothenburg, I regularly serve a guest lecturer and external examiner at different universities in Sweden, Scandinavia and Europe and lecture at various cultural, educational and religious institutions in the Swedish civil society. I also serve as a commentator for several daily newspapers as well as for public radio and television.

Finally, my duties include those of an administrative nature as well. Between 2006 and 2009 I served as a board member of the faculty of humanities at the University of Gothenburg as well as a member of the administrative group for the doctoral program. I am the University of Gothenburg’s board representative for SCAS in Uppsala, a member of the scientific advisory board for Skaraborgsinstitutet (a medical institute) and a member of the board for the Theological Forum in Gothenburg. Between 2003 and 2006 I was a member of the Church of Sweden Research Council; and between 2006 and 2008 I was a member of the Committee for Research in Educational Science at the Swedish Research Council.

I also have been a member of Göteborg’s Royal Society of Arts and Sciences since December 2009.