A five-day workshop on “Shaping the Future of Research on Religion through RESILIENCE RI” was held at the École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE-PSL) from 22 to 26 September 2025 at Campus Condorcet Paris with the aim to reflect with international experts on the changing landscape of research on religion and digital humanities and to identify priorities for the future research infrastructure.
The workshop opened with keynote inputs and discussions aimed at examining the historical trajectory of research on religion. Participants considered how theoretical frameworks, methodological approaches and technological tools have shaped the field over the past. At the same time, they looked ahead to anticipate future developments, asking what challenges and opportunities may arise for the research field in the future. These reflections provided a foundation for identifying areas where research infrastructures like RESILIENCE can play a transformative role.
A central theme throughout the workshop was the potential of RESILIENCE as a European research infrastructure to foster innovation, collaboration, and sustainability in the study of religion. Participants explored how RESILIENCE could help integrate emerging methods such as Artificial Intelligence into research practices, ensuring that scholars are equipped to navigate an increasingly digital and interconnected research environment. Importantly, it was also established that in this field of research, the need for physical access to the physical manifestations of texts and to tangible and intangible evidence of religions will remain also in the future. Such access must continue to be made possible in the future to ensure comprehensive research in the study of religion.
The programme featured a diverse range of keynote presentations from scholars affiliated with institutions such as CNRS, BiblIndex, Bible Online Learner, the European Cloud for Heritage OpEn Science (ECHOES), Index Theologicus, IRISA, SysLex, and the Zurich University Research Priority Programme “Digital Religion(s)”. Topics included multilateral theology in the context of open science, sustainable infrastructures for biblical studies, and the use of big data in religion and cultural heritage. These contributions offered both conceptual insights and practical examples of how Digital Humanities are reshaping the study of religion, and underscored the value of cross-institutional collaboration. Presenters shared insights into interdisciplinary research, platform development, and the challenges of multi-script environments, drawing on projects like eScriptorium, Kraken, Biblissima+ and BiblIndex.
The final days emphasised user needs. Dedicated sessions collected feedback from different target audiences, gathering feedback on RESILIENCE service mock-ups from advanced researchers, and inviting early-career scholars to share their perspectives, in order to shape future RESILIENCE services. A representative of the affiliated project ITSERR presented the development of a special portal that will enable the coordination of Transnational Access research stays within the RESILIENCE infrastructure in the future. Training strategies and the design of learning environments were addressed with a presentation of compelling learning technologies and platforms such as Bible Online Learner, which supports language acquisition.
The insights from this workshop, gained during keynote presentations, discussions with experts and the collection of feedback, will inform the operational phase of RESILIENCE RI. They will support the prioritisation of future services of the research infrastructure, ensuring that tools, physical as well as digital access, and training are aligned with the needs of the academic community. The event represents a step towards creating a collaborative and forward-looking infrastructure for the study of religion that will draw on both technological innovation and scholarly tradition.