Cultural Studies & Classical Studies

This publication series is dedicated to advancing the research on terrorism and extremism, to fleshing out possible countermeasures, and to discussing policy responses on national and international levels. By combining the different perspectives and methodologies of scientific fields like political science, psychology, religious and cultural studies or sociology, the series analyses the issue of terrorism and extremism in all its complexity. Each publication adheres to high scientific standards and presents new results in its respective academic field. At the same time, they offer relevant insights into various aspects of terrorism and extremism, and are therefore directed not only at a professional audience but equally at readers who share an interest in these important topics.

The book series addresses topical political, economic and social developments in China. It seeks to offer new insights gained from in-depth social science research undertaken by a growing community of political scientists and economists specialized on China to a larger audience in academia, business and politics. As such, the series highlights the global relevance of this emerging country for understanding and addressing the political and economic challenges of our time.

The series Philosophische Theorie (Philosophical Theory) contains works dealing with the core disciplines of theoretical philosophy: logic, epistemology, philosophy of science, philosophy of language, metaphysics and ontology. It will appeal to both academics and all those interested in philosophy who would like to learn more about the respective fields.

The series entitled ‘klang-reden. Schriften zur Musikalischen Rezeptions- und Interpretationsgeschichte’ (Tonal Discussions. Studies on the history of the reception and interpretation of music) was founded by the Institute for the History of Musical Reception and Interpretation in 2008. To date, the series has focused on Mozart, modern classical music, baroque music, popular music and methods used in musical interpretation research. One of its significant incentives in studying this field is, in particular, to place topics relating to musical practice in a clear context.

Monographs, anthologies and conference proceedings that address subjects from the fields of dance, theatre studies and musical theatre studies are published in the series entitled Scenae, which was founded in 2013. In view of the multifaceted variety of the performing arts and media, it examines issues from an interdisciplinary perspective and constantly bears in mind the fascinating interplay between theory and practice and between academic study and art.

While the ecclesial, theological and social history of modern Catholicism, which has developed since 1800, has been researched extensively, its manifestations with regard to literary and cultural history have tended to receive merely sparse attention and be regarded with extreme reservation. In this regard, the series entitled ‘Catholica’ breaks new ground, primarily in German-speaking research into this field. By being the first series to raise awareness of the broad spectrum of the image of literary Catholicism since 1800 in terms of literary aesthetics, historical assessment, cultural appraisal, the history of piety and intellectualism, and the intensive interdependence between and permeation of authors and milieus, plus their mutual distancing from each other, it shows that Catholic literature is also part of the plural modernity of the 19th and 20th centuries, which abounds with self-contradictions.

Dying, death and grief have to be regarded as fundamental aspects of cultural coexistence because humans cannot avoid dealing with them when they live with others. A diminishing circle of friends and family, the pain of loss, the transformation of a living being into a dead body, the symbols and rituals of saying farewell to the deceased, plus the contribution of medical, religious and other forms of expertise along with many other aspects reveal, on the one hand, the potential of the utter devastation a person’s death can trigger. On the other, these forms of expression and modes of behaviour also underline that dying and death are not purely natural occurrences. They transpire amid societal mechanisms which reflect a large and, at times, contradictory variety of reflective processes in addressing the finite nature of life. Death is a human’s greatest certainty in life. In this respect, the series of publications Thanatological Studies provides a forum for both theoretical and empirical works which address the social, normative, aesthetic, spiritual, bodily, psychological and other facets of death and dying, and by extension grief and remembrance, from the perspectives of different academic disciplines.

The series ”Religion – Wirtschaft – Politik“ (Religion–Economy–Politics) provides a platform for academic publications by the Centre for Religion, Economy and Politics (www.zrwp.ch ), a joint venture by the Universities of Basel, Fribourg, Lausanne, Lucerne, Zurich, and the Collegium Helveticum. The ZRWP aims to analyse the interactions between religion, economy, and politics in an inter- and transdisciplinary way by encouraging innovative research on religion. By publishing monographs and edited volumes focused on content and methods, the series contributes to a better understanding and explanation of religion in society at a local, regional, national, and transnational level in a globalizing world.