István Povedák

István Povedák investigates the religious dimension of Hungarian neo-nationalism which involves the ethno-Pagan movements that emerged after 1989, the “new Hungarian mythology” behind these movements and the esoteric stream of religious neo-nationalism. During the research a special focus was put on the lived or vernacular segment (e.g. narratives, world-view, rituals, material or artistic dimension, and social dimension) of this multilayered phenomena.

István Povedák has an MA in European Ethnology, History and Religious Studies from the University of Szeged. He obtained his PhD in Folklore and Cultural Anthropology from the Eötvös Lóránd University of Budapest, in 2009. His research fields include modern mythologies, celebrity culture, conspiracy theories, UFO culture, religious neo-nationalism, ethnic paganism and Romani culture in Hungary. He is the president of the Hungarian Cultural Anthropology Association. Povedák was the chair of SIEF (International Society for Ethnology and Folklore) Ethnology of Religion Working Group between 2013 and 2019. He has been a guest lecturer at many universities including Ohio State University, University of Oregon and the University of Riga. Povedák received his habilitation on art theory from the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, Budapest.

- Povedák, István – Roussou, Eugenia – Saraiva, Clara (eds.): Expressions of Religion: Ethnography, Performance, Visual. Lit Verlag, Berlin, 2019 

- Povedák, István: Színvak kötet. A cigány identitás mintázatai. [Color-Blind book: Patterns of Romani Identity.] Szokeresz, Szeged, 2018

- Povedák István – Hubbes László (eds.): Tapasztalatból hallottam… Alternatív világképek, összeesküvés-elméletek.[Alternative World-Views and Conspiracy Theories]. MAKAT Modern Mitológiakutató Műhely, Szeged, 2018

- Povedák, István: Heroes and Celebrities in Central and Eastern Europe. MTA-SZTE Vallási Kultúrakutató Csoport, Szeged, 2014