Question 1

Which countries lead Religious studies research?

Accepted Answer

On research quality in 2022-now, the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom rank highest in Religious studies. By volume, Indonesia and the United States publish the most (8.8k and 6.5k works in 2022-now).

Question 2

Which institutions lead Religious studies research?

Accepted Answer

Jakarta Theological Seminary (Indonesia) ranks first in Religious studies on research quality in 2022-now, followed by Institut Sains dan Teknologi Terpadu Surabaya and University of Oxford.

Question 3

Who are the leading researchers in Religious studies?

Accepted Answer

Counting only their work in Religious studies, Hugh G. M. Williamson, John A. Emerton and John J. Collins have the most papers in the world top 10% for their subfield and year beyond the 10% expected.

Question 4

Where is Religious studies research done?

Accepted Answer

The largest centres of Religious studies research in 2022-now are Jakarta (Indonesia), Surabaya (Indonesia), Ankara (Türkiye) and Bengkulu (Indonesia). Among places with at least 20 works in it, it is an unusually large share of all research in Wilmore, Hatfield and Louisville.

Question 5

Where is the best place to study Religious studies?

Accepted Answer

Among universities, judged by research, University of Oxford, Jakarta Theological Seminary and Institut Sains dan Teknologi Terpadu Surabaya score highest, combining standing in the field's ranking, citation excellence, specialisation, size, growth and international reach. Research strength is one signal when choosing where to study; it does not measure teaching.

Question 6

Is Religious studies research growing?

Accepted Answer

Output in 2022-2025 was 22% higher than in 2018-2021, peaking in 2025. The fastest-growing topics are Medical Research and Islamic Perspectives, Diverse Philosophical and Cultural Studies and Contemporary Christian Leadership and Education.

Question 7

What are the most cited papers in Religious studies?

Accepted Answer

The most cited paper in Religious studies is "Faithfulness and Reduplicative Identity" (John J. McCarthy, Alan Prince, 1995), with 1,620 citations. Next come "Christian moderns freedom and fetish in the mission encounter" (1,497) and "1911 Encyclopedia Britannica" (1,038).

Discussion