What if the study of religion could be both deeply human and technologically innovative? Today, a new generation of scholars is discovering exactly that. A RESILIENCE supported panel at #EuARe2026 explored how digital tools are transforming Religious Studies and opening new ways to investigate religion, culture, history, and human experience.
What if?
A useful starting point is the simple question: “What if?” For example, what if researchers could search for historical texts written in non-Latin scripts directly in their original language? Answering such questions would require tools and skills in multilingual search, Unicode, transliteration, OCR, handwritten text recognition (HTR), and non-Latin language expertise.
Challenge
Technology alone is not enough. A key challenge is ensuring that future scholars develop the digital competencies needed to use these tools effectively. Investing in training programmes, especially at the early stages of academic careers, is therefore essential.
Projects and Platforms
Projects within the RESILIENCE and ITSERR ecosystems demonstrate how digital innovation can support research on religious traditions, sacred texts, visual culture, and historical memory. Platforms such as HORTUS provide access to datasets, collaborative workspaces, training resources, and expert communities, enabling researchers to become active contributors to digital scholarship.
The available datasets are equally inspiring. Plorabunt documents attacks on places of worship worldwide, Sanctuaria preserves legends and ex-votos linked to sacred sites, while Digital Maktaba and DaMSyM support multilingual exploration of religious texts across traditions and languages. The Index Theologicus (IxTheo), one of the most comprehensive open access databases for theology and religious studies, is currently developing into a tool for research analysis.
More Than Data
For young scholars, these resources offer more than data. They create opportunities to uncover forgotten stories, preserve cultural heritage, and build bridges between communities. By combining curiosity with digital innovation, researchers can gain fresh insight into how people express belief, identity, hope, and devotion.
In a world where religion continues to shape societies and lives, digital tools are helping transform scholarship into a journey of discovery, connection, and understanding.
Visual, left to right: Laura Righi, Francesca Cadeddu, Amina El Ganadi, Federico Lezzi, Marco Papasidero, Martin Fassnacht, Federico Ruozzi, Gianmarco Braghi, Gilda Ferrandino, Riccardo Vigliermo, Antonio Pio Di Cosmo (panelists of the panel “Datasets, Workflows, Software and AIs to Study Religions: What is New and What is Ahead”, July 3, 2026 at the Annual Conference of the European Academy of Religion)