Central European Symposium on the Academic Study of Religion (CESAR) Panel - Trajectories of academic study of religions in Central and Eastern Europe.

Type of Abstract (select): Panel Discussion

Abstract (max. 250 words):
Name of the proposed panel: CESAR Panel - Trajectories of Academic Study of Religions in Central and Eastern Europe.

Panel lectures:
1. Nemes, Márk and Boros, Péter - Introduction of CESAR at AHEA 2024
2. Nemes, Márk - The study of new religions in Hungary before and after the fall of the Iron Curtain
3. Boros, Péter - From Jesuit Missionaries to Scholars of Sinology. Crossing Linguistic Boundaries through Editing Hungarian–Chinese Dictionaries


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Márk Nemes is a doctoral candidate of the University of Szeged's Málnási Bartók György Doctoral School of Philosophy. His main research interest is the academic study of new religious movements, with specific focus on systematic theory of religion. He is a founding member of CESAR, a founder of the IVHK conference-series and a former president of the Philosophy Department of the Association of Hungarian PhD and DLA Students. He is currently a Hungarian National Eötvös scholar, conducting his individual research at CESNUR Torino (Italy).

Péter Boros is a third-year sinology Ph.D. student at Eötvös Loránd University focusing on Buddhist–Christian dialogue in early 20th century China. His main research concerns Buddhist master Taixu’s approach towards Christianity, while also engaging in interreligious dialogue research in a broader sense, as exemplified by his recent comparison of Thomas Merton and Thich Nhat Hanh’s understanding of contemplation–meditation. He holds two MA degrees in international relations from Peking University, and Central European University. Additionally, he received the Fulbright Scholarship for AY 2024/25, and was recipient of the Hungarian New National Excellence Program scholarship in AY 2022/23 and 2023/24.