About the Center
The Tel-Hai Center for the Study of Religions (Tel-Hai CSR) is a multidisciplinary research center of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities at Tel-Hai College. The center is dedicated to the promotion of collaborative work on various aspects of religion. Tel-Hai CSR is located in the Upper Galilee, a region of cultural, religious and ethnic diversity, harboring multiple historical sites and relics. The Upper Galilee is home to numerous religious communities, including Christian (Orthodox, Catholic and Maronite), Muslim, Jewish, Druze and Alawite. The region’s rich cultural and religious heritage, its geographic location at the margins of the political center, and the complex geo-political conditions of the contemporary Middle East, make the study of religions at Tel-Hai CSR particularly attractive. The center’s scholars include historians, philosophers, archaeologists, sociologists and researchers of East Asia and its activities focus on multidisciplinary collaborations and cross regional dialogue. The diverse fields of research – ranging from religious communities in the Middle East to East Asia religious and philosophical doctrines such as Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism – contribute a comparative perspective that expands the possibilities for scientific cooperation and enables the development of methodological tools valid beyond the local context.
Tel-Hai CSR’s primary goals are: To become a broad platform for intellectual encounter between researchers in the humanities and social sciences who are interested in the study of religions. Tel-Hai CSR seeks the participation of scholars and researchers from diverse fields and fosters broad-based and creative cooperation. Research topics at Tel-Hai CSR include: theology, the philosophy of religion, religion and psychology, historical and social phenomena, economy, periphery vs. center, popular religion, definitions of belief and superstition, mysticism, new religious movements, intercultural exchange of philosophical and religious ideas, religion and archaeology, ethnography, and ethno-histories of religious groups. The center welcomes innovative ideas and approaches to the study of religions.
To strengthen the Social Sciences and Humanities at Tel-Hai College and worldwide through the study of religions and to foster future generations of creative scholars. Tel-Hai College’s unique location in the culturally diverse region of Israel’s Upper Galilee constitutes an ideal environment for research in the fields of ethnic studies, philosophy, history, archaeology, and religious heritage, as well as the influence of physical and political conditions on the development of religions and their inter-relations. The College maintains close collaborations with institutes and organizations in the nearby towns of Nazareth, Safed, Julis, Majdal Shams, and Kiryat Shemona, and its student population is drawn from the Galilee as well as nationwide. Thus, Tel-Hai CSR is able to offer students in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities unique opportunities to pursue studies and research in various aspects of religious life and thought, in the region and beyond. It also welcomes international students and scholars to conduct research of topics related to the Upper Galilee region.
To impact beyond the study of religions by creating a more pluralistic environment for research at Tel-Hai College and by promoting the college as a leading cultural center serving the region and beyond. Tel-Hai CSR is to play an active role in promoting interreligious dialogue by hosting conferences, workshops, lectures and other activities for the general public. Its unique social and cultural environment allows the participation of religious leaders from outside of academia. Given the proximity of the region's diverse ethnic and religious communities, Tel-Hai CSR, in partnership with local religious leaders, provides a platform for both innovative academic research and common social activities in which local students take leading roles. These initiatives can have significant positive impact for the diverse populations living in the northern periphery of Israel and may serve as a model for similar initiatives in Israel and abroad.
