The International Study of Religion in Eastern and Central Europe Association (ISORECEA) is an international scientific association established in December 1995, after a series of conferences organized since 1991 and focused on the religious change in Central and Eastern Europe. The association focuses on the exchange of academic knowledge on the situation of religion in the Central-Eastern European area. Its members represent various disciplines, e.g. sociology, anthropology, history, philosophy, and come from various countries, including Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Great Britain, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, Ukraine, and the USA.
The ISORECEA governing bodies are:
- the General Assembly summoned during ISORECEA bi-annual conferences;
- the Executive Board elected by the General Assembly for the term of four years;
- the Audit Commission elected by the General Assembly for the term of four years.
Every two years, ISORECEA organizes international academic conferences. Apart from that, the association participates in other academic gatherings, for instance, it arranges joint ISSR-ISORECEA sessions at conferences of the International Society for the Sociology of Religion (ISSR). In 2010, ISORECEA became an affiliate member of the IAHR – International Association for the History of Religions.
ISORECEA publishes proceedings from its conferences and an academic journal Religion and Society in Central and Eastern Europe.
Excerpt from ISORECEA Articles:
Article 7
Objectives for which the Society is established are:
1. Development and exchange of scientific information concerning religion and churches in Eastern and Central Europe, with regard to the following: religious studies, sociology of the religion, ethnology, ethnography, history, psychology, law and any other related disciplines.
2. Creation of a network for the exchange and updating of information concerning above mentioned issues.
3. Organisation of international conferences at least every two years, presenting and summarising achievements of different organization or persons and discussing them.
4. Publishing books, journals, in particular Religion and Society in Central and Eastern Europe which is the Association's official journal, and other scientific materials.
5. Promotion of young scientists and students from different countries.
6. Promotion of publications of its members.
Article 8
To achieve objectives mentioned in Article 7, the Association shall:
1. Organise an e-mail network, containing list of members of the Association, including details like: area of activity, affiliation, occupied position and the catalogue of the most important publications. Such list shall be fully accessible for the Association's members. It shall permit direct contacts between members and facilitate their electronic co-operation.
2. Undertake and conduct scientific research.
3. Organise scientific conferences and participate in them.
4. Look for donors willing to support the Association.
5. Publishing books, journals, and other scientific materials.
6. Promote publications of its members.
