A conference, which gathered over a hundred of scientists from 10 countries of the world, was organized by the Institute of Theology named after Saints Methodius and Cyril of Byelorussian State University with the support of the Department of Culture Philosophy of the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences of Byelorussian State University, Christian Educational Centre named after Saints Methodius and Cyril (Minsk, Byelorussia), Association of Young  Religious Scholars of Ukraine, Moscow Theological Association, editorial office of Theological Research magazine (Moscow) and ANO (Autonomous Non-Commercial Organization) “Independent Scientific Research Centre” (Russia). It has become the third in a series of theological conferences conducted on the site of this higher education institution. Leading religious scholars of Russia, Ukraine, Poland and other countries from Moscow State University, Saint-Petersburg State University, Orthodox Saint Tikhon University of Humanities, Russian State University of Humanities, Southern and Ural Federal Universities, Institute of Social and Political Research of the Russian Academy of Science, Institute of Philosophy named after G. S. Skovoroda of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine, Kiev National University named after T. Shevchenko, National Pedagogical University named after M. P. Dragomanov (Kiev), Jagiellon University (Krakow, Poland), Warsaw University,  Latvian University and other leading higher education institutions and research institutes took part in it. The conference program was formed on a competitive selection basis.

A broad spectrum of topics was offered by the subject of the conference itself. Practically all lines of modern Religion Studies were represented in its sections: Sociology of Religion, Psychology of Religion, Anthropology of Religion, Phenomenology of Religion. A separate section was devoted to Islamic Studies. Furthermore, a problem of theological education in Russia and CIS countries was also in the focus of scientists’ attention, with a round table being devoted to it, as well.

Kazan Federal University was represented in Minsk by the Associate Professor of the Department of Religion Studies of the Faculty of Philosophy, Mr. A. V. Tokranov, and the teaching assistant of the Department of General Philosophy of the Faculty of Philosophy, Ms. Ye. V. Kuzmina. Mr. A. V. Tokranov supervised the work of “Phenomenology of Religion” section. He also read a paper “On the problem of a crisis of epistemological bases of religion phenomenology”. Ms. Ye. V. Kuzmina took part in the work of “Social Theory of Religion” section and delivered a lecture “Religious situation in the context of postmodern discourse”.

All participants made a special mention of high scientific level of the conference, large quantity of instructive and intensively discussed papers, a brilliant work of organizers – the Associate Professor of the Department of Culture Philosophy of the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences of Byelorussian State University, Ms. Svetlana Gennadyevna Karasyova, and the Associate Professor of the Department of Religion Studies of the Institute of Theology of BSU, Mr. Sergey Iosiphovich Shatravskiy.

Photos for the photo-report were kindly provided by Anastasiya Domanskaya.