Thematically, I focus on wilderness mythologies, the environmental humanities and the role of religion and myth; radical religion and extremism, especially the role of emotions and narratives; the aesthetics of religion and the role of material media and emotionality; the formative power of religious narratives in general; the fantastic and fantasy; monsters and the monstrous in the history of religions.

Empirically, I have expertise in religion in contemporary popular culture and media, especially fantasy literature and film/tv adaptations (Harry Potter and more); religion in ancient Mesopotamia, the Hebrew Bible and ancient forms of Judaism, ancient forms of Christianity.

I have philological competence in Sumerian, Akkadian, Hebrew, koine Greek and Latin and work on the sources in the original languages.

I have broad teaching experience in the Study of Religion, both in terms of focused courses on specific religions within my expertise, but also a wide range of thematic courses. I enjoy teaching and supervising students. I currently supervise four PhD-students: Milad Bahadori, Bouchra Mossmann, Chris Madsen Stie, and Tamara Holkenov.

Forthcoming monograph with Cambridge University Press, April 2025: 

Ancient Mythologies of the Wilderness - Narrative, Nature, and Religious Identity Formation from the Babylonians to the Late Antique Christians.

For a full list of publications, for the moment see Laura Feldt - Syddansk Universitet

My most recent publications

2025

Ancient Mythologies of the Wilderness. Narrative, Nature, and Religious Identity Formation from the Babylonians to the Late Antique Christians. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

“Religion as Anthropotechnics: On Peter Sloterdijk, You Must Change Your Life (2009)”. Feldt, L., 2025, in: 21st Century Theories of Religion. Stausberg, M. (ed.). London: Routledge, s. 157-170.

“The Fantastic”, Feldt, L., 2025, in: Ancient Religions in Context: An Encyclopedia. Bremmer, J. N., Petridou, G. & Rüpke, J. (eds.). Verlag J. B. Metzler, 13 s.

“Wilderness”, Feldt, L., 2025, in: Ancient Religions in Context: An Encyclopedia. Bremmer, J. N., Petridou, G. & Rüpke, J. (eds.). Verlag J. B. Metzler, 13 s.

“The Role of Narratives and Emotions in Extreme Beliefs and Behaviour.” Feldt, L., 2025, (In press) in: Explaining Extreme Beliefs and Behaviour. Dawson, L. & Peels, R. (eds.). Oxford: Oxford University Press, (Extreme Beliefs and Behaviour Series 3).

2024

Metoder i religionshistoriske analyser - eksempler for studerende. Feldt, L. (Redaktør), Raudvere, C. (Redaktør) & Borup, J. (Redaktør), 2024, Forlaget Univers. 270 s.

«Narrative og følelsesteoretiske analysestrategier: Den mesopotamiske myte Ninurtas Bedrifter», in: Feldt, L., 2024, Metoder i religionshistoriske analyser - eksempler for studerende. Feldt, L., Borup, J. & Raudvere, C. (red.). Forlaget Univers, s. 91-108.

«Religionsæstetisk analyse af marionetdukker i hopi-indianske ritualer: Metodiske greb til analysen af materielle medier», Geertz, A. W. & Feldt, L., 2024, Metoder i religionshistoriske analyser - eksempler for studerende. Feldt, L., Raudvere, C. & Borup, J. (red.). Forlaget Univers, s. 127-146.

2023

Review: Alexander J.B. Hampton and Douglas Hedley (eds.), The Cambridge Companion to Christianity and the Environment (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press), vii-xii + 346 pp. Feldt, L., jan. 2023, in: Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture.

Guest-edited thematic issue: Total Devotion - Passions and Plots in Radical Religion in the Ancient World. Feldt, L. (Redaktør) with Jan N. Bremmer, 2023, Taylor & Francis. Religion 1, 53/1.

«Havets vilde væsener – om det monstrøse og miljøhumaniora fra oldtidens Mesopotamien til samtidens populærkultur». Feldt, L., 2023, in: Havets mysterier: Myter, virkelighed og videnskab. Thøstesen, C. B., Rathjen, K. & Eriksen, J. K. (red.). Esbjerg: Fiskeri- og Søfartsmuseet, s. 313-321.

Review: READING - SILENT OR ALOUD? Jan Heilmann: Lesen in Antike und frühen Christentum. Kulturgeschichtliche, philologische sowie kognitionswissenschaftliche Perspektiven. Tanz: Texte und Arbeiten zum neutestamentlichen Zeitalter. Francke Verlag, 2021 (707 pp.) Feldt, L., okt. 2023, In: The Classical Review 73, 2, s. 688-690

“Total Devotion in the Ancient World: Emotions and Narrative in Radical Religion”. Feldt, L., jan. 2023, I: Religion. 53/1, s. 1-23.

“Training for Total Devotion: Emotionality and Narrativity in Deuteronomy”. Feldt, L., jan. 2023, I: Religion. 53/1, s. 43-67.

2022

Struktur : Begejstring. Baunvig, K. F. (Redaktør), Christiansen, J. L. (Redaktør) & Feldt, L. (Redaktør), 2022, Aarhus: Afdeling for Religionsvidenskab, Institut for Kultur og Samfund, Aarhus Universitet. Religionsvidenskabelig Skriftrække; Nr. 1.

«Vildmænd fra Gilgameš til Galliens skovhelte». Feldt, L., 2022, in: Struktur : Begejstring. Feldt, L., Katrine, B. & Christiansen, J. L. (red.). Aarhus: Afdeling for Religionsvidenskab, Institut for Kultur og Samfund, Aarhus Universitet, Bind 1. s. 9-16. Religionsvidenskabelig Skriftrække, Bind 1, 

2021

“Destruction, Death, and Drama: Narratives of Religiocide in the Hebrew Bible”. Feldt, L., 2021, I: NVMEN – International Review of the History of Religions 68/ 2-3, s. 132-156.

“Monstrøse sten og monstrøs mytologi: Fortælling og medieform i den oldbabylonske sumeriske fortælling Lugale», Feldt, L., 2021, I: Chaos 73/1, s. 167-191.

“Saints in the Wild - Introduction to the Special Issue: Wilderness, Landscape, and Religious Transformations in Late Antique Christian Hagiography and Ascetic Literature”. Feldt, L., nov. 2021, I: Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses 97, 3, s. 375-384.

“Wilderness Mythology in the West: The Life of the Jura Fathers”. Feldt, L., nov. 2021, I: Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses 97, 3, s. 427-447.

2020

“Fantastic Stories, Emotions and Ancient Religions: Open Questions and Ideas in Conversation with the Building Block and Worldviews Approach”. Feldt, L., 15. feb. 2020, Building Blocks of Religion: Critical Applications and Future Prospects. Larsson, G., Svensson, J. & Nordin, A. (red.). London: Equinox Publishing, s. 39-54.

“Feeling Narrative Cultures: Analyzing Emotions in Religious Narratives with Examples from Old-Babylonian Ninurta Myths.” Feldt, L., jan. 2020, Narrative Cultures and the Aesthetics of Religion. Johannsen, D., Kirsch, A. & Kreinath, J. (red.). Brill, s. 125-154 (Method and Theory in the Study of Religion, Bind 14).

“Fictioning Myths and Mythic Fictions: the Standard-Babylonian Gilgamesh Epic and Questions of Heroism, Myth and Fiction.” Feldt, L., jul. 2020, Explaining, Interpreting and Theorizing about Religion and Myth. Roubekas, N. P. & Ryba, T. (red.). Brill, s. 282-298 (Method & Theory in the Study of Religion. Supplements, Bind 16).

“Religion, fantasyfilm og fantastiske væsener: Mediering af religion i Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” Feldt, L., 25. maj 2020, I: Religionsvidenskabeligt Tidsskrift. 70/1, s. 1-25.

“Religion og medier i et religionsvidenskabeligt perspektiv». Geertz, A. W. & Feldt, L., 18. maj 2020, I: Religionsvidenskabeligt Tidsskrift 70, s. 6-37.

“Total Devotion: Dismantling religious practices and training devotion in 2 Kings 22-23.” Feldt, L., maj 2020, I: Journal for the Study of Judaism 51, 3, s. 309-338.

Current projects:

PI, ERC Consolidator Grant 2025-2030: Radical Habits of the Heart - Emotions, Embodiment and Strong Individual Commitment in Ancient Religions

PI, Danish Research Foundation of Independent Research, research project 2, 2021-2025: Total Devotion - Passions and Plots in Radical Religion in the Ancient World

Co-PI, SDU Climate Cluster Elite Centre: Centre for Understanding Human Relationships with the Environment