Kerem Görkem Arslan

Please tell us about your research project.

I am currently a lecturer at the Department of Turkish Studies and a PhD candidate in Political Science at the Droit, Religion, Entreprise et Société research unit (UMR 7354), University of Strasbourg, with my thesis labelled by the Interdisciplinary Thematic Institute MAKErS. I am also an associate researcher at IFEA Istanbul, and co-director of the SoLaRe doctoral laboratory (ANR ReligiS – France 2030). In addition, I founded INOPS (Interdisciplinary Network of Pagan Studies), a research network dedicated to connecting scholars working on contemporary paganisms across Europe and beyond.

My research explores the development of heterodox religiosities emerging in contemporary Turkey, in comparison with the revival and recognition of neopagan movements in Europe. Adopting an interdisciplinary and comparative approach, I draw on political science, anthropology, and study of religions to examine how marginalized belief systems emerge, structure themselves, and persist in contexts dominated by majoritarian religions.

In Turkey, neopagan movements have emerged partly in response to rising political Islam, while in Europe they often intersect with environmental, heritage, and identity-related concerns. My research also focuses on the role of the internet in the diffusion of these beliefs, especially in Turkey since the early 2000s, where growing digital access has facilitated the emergence of what I call "semi-transparent" religiosities.

Ultimately, I aim to provide a new analytical framework to understand how these religious identities are shaped, spread, and how they interact with broader issues such as nationalism, ecology, and cultural heritage. I am particularly interested in how these religious groups pursue official recognition, as well as the nature of their claims and initiatives.

Could you please tell us a bit more about your scholarship/exchange programme?

I was first awarded the "Bourse du Mois" from the Maison Française d'Oxford in July 2025, supporting a one-month research stay during which I conducted fieldwork alongside neopagan and heterodox religious groups in Oxford, London, and Edinburgh, while taking full advantage of the exceptional resources of the Bodleian Library and the University of Oxford. Since then, I have returned twice for further research mobility; in December 2025, including participation as a speaker at a conference, and again in June 2026, to deepen this fieldwork and continue building academic collaborations, notably attending the Stonehenge summer solstice ceremony as part of my comparative research on pagan community practices. These stays have also allowed me to engage with leading scholars in my field, including researchers I met through the Maison Française network, fostering ongoing academic exchange and new collaborative projects.

First impressions of Oxford/the University?

In a word: magical! The city's breathtaking architecture, the pleasure of wandering its historic streets, and the opportunity to work in its remarkable libraries and to discover iconic colleges are truly inspiring. At the same time, Oxford has a vibrant and youthful energy, driven by its dynamic student life, which makes it an intellectually stimulating and deeply enriching place to be. Returning over several stays has only deepened that impression, as I have built lasting connections with both the city's academic community and its neopagan circles.