INEZ AND JULIUS POLIN – INSTITUTE FOR THEOLOGICAL RESEARCH is our full name, but we generally shorten this to The Polin Institute. We’re an independent research institute at Åbo Akademi University.
Our address is The Polin Institute, Theologicum, Biskopsgatan 16, FI-20500 Åbo, Finland. Come and say hello!
Current news
14.03.2024 | Conference
PENTECOSTALISM AND THE DIALECTICS OF CHRISTIANITY IN THE POSTCOLONY
An international conference organized by the Polin Institute of Åbo Akademi University Espoo, Finland, 27th-30th August 2024 Pentecostalism is one of the most dynamic and influential forms of Christianity in contemporary Africa. It has been variously described as a response to modernity, a postmodern phenomenon itself, a revitalization movement, a return to the fundamental theology embodying […]
17.04.2025 | Abraham Goes Global
Getting to Know the Abrahamic Religions in South Africa
Reflections from Holy Week and a Study Trip to Cape Town and Stellenbosch During Holy Week, my thoughts return to our study trip to South Africa earlier this year. It was a journey filled with learning, beauty, and contrast. South Africa is a country of striking contrasts – visually stunning yet socially complex. Our course […]
15.04.2025 | Abraham Goes Global
Seeing the different perspectives of Robben Island
I found it very important to learn about Robben Island and its historical significance as a place of oppression, where those deemed “undesirable” were kept away from the rest of the population. But what I really appreciated was hearing a first-hand account that reminded me once again that evils of apartheid are still a part […]
10.04.2025 | Abraham Goes Global
The propaganda continues… South Africa
If you have learned how South Africans fought against the atrocities of their oppressors and that apartheid and racial segregation were abolished in South Africa, you might be excited to learn what such connotations mean to South Africans. I spent two weeks in Cape Town observing, learning, getting first-hand information from South Africans, and visiting […]
Upcoming events
For those applying for funding
Are you writing a doctoral thesis or are you a post-doc researcher in theology? The Polin Institute awards working scholarships to researchers and doctoral students. The research must take place in association with Åbo Akademi University. Find out more about how to apply for funding.
