Professori Veikko Anttonen
CURRICULUM VITAE
Veikko Anttonen
Department of Cultural Studies/ Comparative Religion
Henrikinkatu 3
20014 University of Turku
Tel. 358-2-333 5241
Fax. 358-2-3335049
E-mail: veikko.anttonen(at)utu.fi
Cell phone: +358-40-54 98 918
Personal
Born 22 August 1948, Nousiainen, Finland,
Children: Riku Viljami (b. 1978), Veera Johanna (b. 1983), Tuomo Samuel Valtteri (b. 1997)
Academic Degrees
1977 B.A. University of Helsinki
1980 M.A. University of Helsinki
1987 Lic. Phil. University of Helsinki
1996 Dr. Phil. University of Helsinki
Academic appointments
1983-84 Assistant in Comparative Religion, The University of Helsinki
1984 Assistant in Folklore, The University of Jyväskylä
1984-85 Assistant in Sociology (Social Anthropology), The University of Helsinki
1985-1991 Research assistant, The Academy of Finland, The Council for Humanities
1991-1992 Lecturer in Comparative Religion, The University of Turku
1993-1994 Lecturer in Comparative Religion, University of Helsinki
1995- 1997 Research Fellow in Folklore, The University of Helsinki; The Grant for the Accomplishment of Doctoral Dissertation
1997-1998 Acting Professor of Comparative Religion, University of Turku
1998 From June 1st : Professor of Comparative Religion, The University of Turku, The Department of Cultural Studies
Memberships and Positions of Trust
President:
The Finnish Society for the Study of Religion, From 2006–(Suomen Uskontotieteellinen Seuran puheenjohtaja)
Secretary:
The Finnish Anthropological Society, 1982 – 1984 (Suomen Antropologisen Seuran sihteeri)
Secretary General of The International Conference on Circumpolar and Northern Religion, arranged by the Dept. of Comparative Religion at the University of Helsinki and the International Association for the History of Religions (IAHR), held in Helsinki, May 13-19, 1990.(IAHR:n alueellisen konferenssin Circumpolar and Northern Religion -pääsihteeri)
Membership:
The Finnish Anthropological Society, 1976— (Suomen Antropologinen Seuran jäsen)
The Finnish Society for the Study of Comparative Religion, 1981 - (Suomen Uskontotieteellinen Seuran jäsen)
The Finnish Literature Society, From 1983 —(Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seuran työjäsen)
The Board of The Finnish Anthropological Society, 1985 – 1988 (Suomen Antropologisen Seuran hallitus)
The Finnish Society for the Study of Comparative Religion, From 1988–(Suomen Uskontotieteellisen Seuran johtokunnan jäsen)
The Council of The Finnish Literature Society, From 2000 —(Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seuran valtuuskunnan jäsen)
The Kalevala Society Foundation, Helsinki, From 2000 —(Kalevalaseura-Säätiön työjäsen)
The Board of The Kalevala Society, Helsinki, From 28.2.2001 — 28.2. 2004
(Kalevalaseuran johtokunnan jäsen)
The Board of Kalevala Institute at the University of Turku, From 1998
(Kalevala-instituutin johtokunnan jäsen)
Porthan-Seura (Porthan Society), Turku, 2004 –
(työjäsen)
Suomen Tietokirjailijat ry.
International Society for the Folk Narrative Research, 2005–
Editor of academic publications:
Chief-Editor: Temenos. Nordic Journal of Comparative Religion.
Editorial Board memberships:
Encyclopedia of Uralic Mythologies. Editors-in-Chief: Anna-Leena Siikala, Vladimir Napolskikh, Mihály Hoppál. Academy of Finland, Helsinki University, Russian Academy of Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
Fieldwork in Religion. Equinox. Chief Editors: Chris Partridge and Ron Geaves (see webpage: http://www.equinoxpub.com/journals/edboard.asp?jref=55)
2005 Consulting Editor. Christopher Partridge (General Editor), The New Lion Handbook. The World’s Religions. Third Edition. Revised and Expanded. 495 pages. Oxford: A Lion Book.
Awards
1980 Award for the M.A. thesis “The Scholarly Portrait of Uno Holmberg-Harva"; In Finnish: Uno (Holmberg-)Harvan tutkijakuva. The University of Helsinki, The Faculty of Humanities.
1997 Award for Scientific literature for the doctoral dissertation “The Making of Corporeal and Territorial Boundaries. ‘Sacred’ as a Cultural Category"; in Finnish: “Ihmisen ja maan rajat. ‘Pyhä’ kulttuurisena kategoriana. The Finnish Literature Society. Elias Lönnrot Foundation.
Fieldwork
1985 Finnmark, Norway, research project on the ethnohistory and oral traditions of the Kvens; project supervision dr. Lassi Saressalo
1986 Grue Finskog, Norway. Nordic project on the Forest Finns. Project description “Rapport från det förbererande fältseminariet i Finnskogen, Norge 19.-25.5.1986" published in Siirtolaisuus, no. 4, 1987, pp. 34-37) by Veikko Anttonen, Kari Vesala, Per-Martin Tvengsberg, Juha Pentikäinen.
1987 Stockhom, Sweden. Nordic field-work symposium on the Forest Finn culture held between April 2 and 4. Paper given together with Ph.D. Kari Vesala “Skogsfinsk mentalitet enligt folkloristiska materialet" (unpublished)
1988 Torsby, Sweden, Field-seminar on the Finns in Middle Scandinavia
1990 Nyskoga, Sweden. Fieldwork seminar on the Forest Finns, held in August 20.-24, 1990. Seminar paper titled “Begreppet ´pyhä’ (det heliga) i skogsfinnarnas kultur" (unpublished)
1992 Joshkar-Ola, the Republic of Mari, Russia. Documenting sacrificial rituals of the Meadow-Mari population in July, 1992. Video-edition titled “In the Kitchen of God" on the sürem-sacrifical ritual held at the sacred grove outside Koramas and Tjodrajal villages in July 13, 1992.
Visiting fellowships
1985 Hungary, Budapest and Debrecen.
1986 Hungary. Exchange scholarship between Finnish and Hungarian Academy of Sciences
1992 Hungary. Interviews of adherents of new religious movements in Budapest, Sárospatak and Debrecen
1998 Hungary, Szeged and Debrecen: participation on the Finnish, Hungarian, Estonian Folklore Symposium, April 3 - 5.
2000 Hungary, Debrecen, Eger-Nozvaj: participaton on the Finnish, Hungarian, Estonian Symposium on the Study of Religion, October 6-8,2000.
2002 Bergen, Norway, 13.3. - 16.3. (IKRR; Seksjon for religionsvitenskap)
Visting lectures:
1) Towards a Cognitive Science of Religion: Theories of Religion Contested
2) Explanatory value of the human body in the study of religion
2002 Budapest, Hungary, 7. 4. - 13.4. Hungarian Association for the Study of Religion, Conceptual Foundation of the Science of Religion: Towards a Methodological Shift from Phenomenological to Cognitive Approaches.
2005 The University of Leeds, The Dept. of Theology and Religious Studies, November 1st, Senior Seminar: ‘The relevance of the ‘sacred’ for the study of religion’; November 4th, Invited seminar on Perspectives on the “sacred (research students and staff)
Scholarships and research project grants:
Senior Fellow of the Academy of Finland 1.8.2002-31.7.2003
Encyclopedia of Uralic Mythologies (Uralilaisten kansojen mytologioiden tietosanakirja - osahanke: Suomalais-karjalaisen mytologian tietosanakirja)
Papers given at international scholarly meetings (incomplete list):
1990 Helsinki, May 13-20. IAHR regional conference of Circumpolar and Northern Religion: The Concept of PYHÄ (the sacred) in Pre-Christian Finnish Religion.
Debrecen, Hungary. 7th International Finno-Ugric Congress (CIFU-7) 27.8.-2.9.1990: The Khanty Concept of Jemen and the Mansi Concept of Jelpin from the point of view of Comparative Religion.
1992 Stockholm, Sweden: Nordplan, November10th: Beyond Mythology: The Category of the Sacred in Prehistoric Finnish Culture.
Budapest, Hungary: Shamanism and Performing Arts; 2nd Conference of the International Society for the Shamanistic Research. Transcending bodily and territorial boundaries. Interpreting shamanism as a form of religion.
1995 Mexico City, Mexico, August 5 - 12, 1995, XVII Quinquennial Congress of the International Association for the History of Religions: Paper given on panel: The History of Religions and the Social Sciences. Coordinators and chairmen: E. Thomas Lawson, Luther Martin and Donald Wiebe. What is it that we call 'religion'?
1998 Szeged, Hungary. József Attila University, Department of Ethnology. The 11th Finnish-Hungarian Folklore Symposium on “Old and New Spiritual Movements and Communities in the Folk Religiosity of the 20th Century", April 3-5, 1998. " The Representation of sürem-sacrificial ritual among the present-day Meadow-Mari population in Russia".
1999 Boston, USA. Annual Meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, November 3. – 5.1999. “Towards A Cognitive Theory of the Sacred".
1999 Tartu, Estonia. “Comparative Religion in Finland". Scholarly Traditions of Comparative Religion in Estonia and in Finland. Methodologies and Topics in Current Research, December 11, 1999.
2000 Durban, South-Africa. XVIII Quinquennial Congress of the IAHR, August 5 — 11, 2000. “Identifying the Generative Mechanisms of Religion: The issue of origin revisited"
2000 Eger—Noszváj, Hungary. Finnish-Hungarian-Estonian symposium on the Study of Sacred Spaces, October 6 — 8, 2000. “Explaining Sacrality as a Form of Action Representation"
2002 Bergen, Norway, March 13 - 16. The University of Bergen: Seksjon for religionsvitenskap. 1) Towards a Cognitive Science of Religion: Theories of Religion Contested; 2) The explanatory value of the human body in the study of religion
2002 Budapest, Hungary, April 13, 2002: Hungarian Association for the Study of Religion; Conceptual Foundation of the Science of Religion: Towards a Methodological Shift from Phenomenological to Cognitive Approaches
2002 Tartu, Estonia, April 18-19, 2002: Symposium “Sacred and Profane in the Dialogue of Cultures: Ritual and Generic Aspects". “Sacred Spaces as Markers of Difference: Recurrent Features in the Geography of Finnish, Saami and Mari Folk Religion".
2002 Burlington, Vermont, USA, August 1-4, 2002. Conference on The Modes of Religiosity: Historical evidence. The University of Vermont. Transmission of Ritual Tradition among the Rural Meadow-Mari Population in the Post-Soviet Political Context: A test case to the theory of the modes of religiosity..
2002 Paris, France, Septembre 11-14, 2002. Societe Ernest Renan, Collège de France et Ecole Normale Supérieure, European Association for the Study of Religion (EASR), Congres de Paris: Monotheism: Diversity, Exclusivism or Dialogue. “The Emergence of Ethnomonotheism among the Meadow-Mari Population in Russia in Post-Soviet Political Context."
2005 Tartu, Estonia: July 26-31. Vernacular Genres and The Problem of Defining Folklore: Ethical Discourse on Forest as a Representation of Vernacular Religion. XIVth Congress of the International Society for Folk Narrative Research. Panel Convenors Ülo Valk and Veikko Anttonen.
2005 Tokyo, Japan. Space, Body, and the Notion of Boundary: A Category-Theoretical Approach to Religion. 19th Quinquinneal Congress of the International Association for the History of Religions, March 29 at 11-13, Session no. 13F Religion, the Sacred, and Spaces of Contestation, Segregation and Difference. Panel convener: Prof. Kim Knott.
Public lectures and presentations given in Finland (Incomplete list)
1987 Harva - Haavio -line in Finnish study on compartive religion. Seminar on Martti Haavio held at the Archipelago Research Station of the University of Turku on the island of Seili, September 11th, 1987.
Roots of Bronislaw Malinsowski’s anthropology. A Comment on the paper given by prof. Ernst Gellner on the topic “Zeno of Cracow or Revolution at Nemi or The Polish Revenge, A Drama in Three Acts". Seminar arranged by the Finnish Anthropological Society and held at the Lammi biological research station of the University of Helsinki. October 1st – 2nd, 1987.
Uno Harva - epäilijä totuuden tiellä . Speech held at the 70th Anniversary of the Suomalainen Yliopistoseura at the University of Turku, November 7th, 1987
1988 On Purification rituals. Lecture given at the Drama School in Helsinki, November 3rd, 1988
1989 Finnishness from the point of view of cultural anthropology. Lecture given at Heinola Täydennyskoulutuskeskus, May 22nd, 1989.
A Comparative religionist looks at Shamanism and Finnishness. Cultural values in advertising. Symposium held at Pohtimo, Lapland on November 30th, 1989.
National vs. universal in ethnographic writing. Comment on the paper given by professor George E. Marcus (Rice University, Texas) on the topic of “Nostalgia and the critical sensibility in the contemporary ethnographic writing". The Dept. of Sociology at the University of Helsinki, December 13th, 1989. Seminar held in connection with Edward Westermarck Memorial Lecture.
1990 Why the Bear was categorized as a sacred animal? A Day for Sociology, March. University of Tampere: Approaching Culture Criticially:
How to study religion in context?. Mekrijärvi Research Station of the University of Joensuu in Ilomantsi. Research seminar on Contexts of Interpretation in Cultural Analysis. November 9th, 1990.
1991 What was deemed sacred in Prehistoric Finland? The Society for the Study of Comparative Religion. University of Joensuu. October 29th, 1991.
1992 The Category of the Sacred and the Making of Cultural Boundaries. Baltic-Nordic symposium arranged by the Nordic Institute of Folklore, August 15th, 1992.
Sürem-sacrificial ritual of the Mari and revitalisation of ethnic traditions. Seminar on “Minority, religion and identity" arranged by the Finnish Society for the Study of Comparative Religion. The University of Jyväskylä October 23rd, 1992.
1993 Myths of Death in Shamanic cultures. Tampereen työväenopisto, March 10th, 1993.
Sacrality of the Forest. Seminar on The Spirit of the Forest held at the University of Helsinki.
Shamanism in Culture and in Art. Shamanism at the Kemi Cultural Center, June 17th–18th, 1993.
Addressing the Sacred. Speech held at the seminar arranged by the Union of Christian Teachers, Rauma August 7th, 1993.
National consciousness as a mythical construction. Lecture at The Renvall Institute of the University of Helsinki, December 7th, 1993.
“The Sacred in Pre-Christian Finland". Speech held at the Patriotic Society of Kuopio, December 16th, 1993.
1994 Water in the worldview of the ancient Finns. A paper given at the Anniversary seminar of the National Culture in Vaajakoski, August 13th, 1994.
The Limits of Art. The notion of the sacred in Traditional and Modern Art. A paper given at the Art Academy. Helsinki October 8th, 1994.
“Gender approach in comparative religion". Lecture on the research seminar for advanced students at the Tvärminne Biological Research station of the University of Helsinki, November 18th – 19th, 1994.
1995 Finnishness as Religion! Presentation given on the Day or Comparative Religion, the University of Turku, April 21st – 22nd, 1995.
1996 A Lecture on Finnish Mythology. The Drama School, Helsinki, November 25th, 1996.
1998 Is there a natural explanation for religion? (Onko uskonnolle luonnollista selitystä?) Inaugural lecture for the professorship and the Chair of Comparative Religion, The Academy House, Turku, December 2nd, 1998.
1999 Whence Human Capacity to Sacralize? – Ritual Context Approach to the Category of the Sacred. International Workshop on Religion, Cognition and Cultural Context held at the Archipelago Research Station of the University of Turku on the island of Seili, June 21st – 23rd, 1999.
2001 Ritual as a Form of Action Representation. Turku: Turun Kristillinen opisto, Donnerska Institutet’s planeringseminarium Åbo 23.-24.8.2001
2001 “As with People so with Gods “(Millainen kansa, sellaiset jumalat). Helsinki, The Academy of Finland Public Event on “Culture 2001". Suomen Akatemian tiedekatselmus. Kulttuuri 2001 -tapahtuma, Mediakeskus Lume, September 29, 2001.
2002 Helsinki, September 28, 2002. Kulttuurien museo, M.A. Castrén Seura, Sukukansapäivä: M.A. Castrén ja pyhän syntysijat. Suomalaiset uskontoetnografit Venäjän suomalais-ugrilaisia kansoja tutkimassa.
2002 Epic singers as transmitters of mythological knowledge (Eeposlaulajat mytologisen tiedon välittäjinä). Epic Singer Symposium of the Kalevala Institute: Turku, November 1-3, 2002.
2002 A comment to the paper "Beyond Thick Descriptions and Intepretative Sciences: Explaining Religious Meaning" presented by professor Donald Wiebe at an International Workshop “Approaches In Comparative Religion Reconsidered" at the University of Helsinki on November 15-16, 2002.
2003 A Comment to the paper presented by Professor David C. Rubin: Memory in Oral Traditions. Seminar of the Graduate School of Cultural Interpretations in Suitia, Siuntio, February 21 to 22.
2003 Rituals among the Meadow-Mari. Seminar on The Mari woman and modernisation, April 11, 2003. The Dept. of Ethnology at the University of Helsinki and the Museum of Cultures.
2003 Field as a Mythical Space. Aesthetics of Agriculture (Pellon estetiikka), 5th International Conference of Environmental Aesthetics, Hämeen ammattikorkeakoulu, Lepaa, Hattula, August 5 to 8.
2003 The concept of ‘sacred’ in Medieval Finnish Culture. The Church and Middle Ages. The Day of Church History, Hämeenlinna (Hämeen linna), September 26, 2003.
2003 Method and Theory in the Study of Folk Religion. An Opening speech at the 40th Anniversary Symposium of the Finnish Society of the Study of Religion as well as Comparative Religion and Folkloristics at the University of Turku. October 23 to 25, 2003.
2004 Helsinki. 17.10.2004. Mihin uskontoja tarvitaan. Tiedekeskus Heureka Ikäihmisten tiedeviikot. Uskontojen päivä..
2004 Kalanti. Kalannin urheilutalo 2.11.2004. Mitä pyhä-sana kertoo Suomen paikannimien historiasta?
2004 Helsinki, Kulttuurien museo 11.11.2004. Maailmankuvan vaikutus mentaliteettiin.
2004 Tvärminnen biologinen tutkimusasema 12.11.2004.Placenames and topography as information sources in interpreting archaeological findings, yhdessä prof. Jussi-Pekka Taavitsaisen kanssa. Uskontoarkeologian jatkokoulutusseminaari. Järj. Suomen Uskontotieteellinen Seura & Suomen Keskiajan Arkeologian Seura.
2005 Hämeenlinna, 2.2.2005. Ikäihmisten yliopisto, Näköaloja ajan ilmiöihin: Mihin uskontoja tarvitaan?