Giovanni B. Bazzana

Why did you choose Lund University? 

Lund’s faculty offers extensive expertise in New Testament studies, religion, and apocalyptic literature with significant international connections. 

I'm particularly drawn to the "Scripture and Secularism" project and the Humanities Village's interdisciplinary approach. Lund's strengths in sociology, anthropology, and religious studies will further my research on apocalyptic imagination and its ethical implications.

Can you briefly describe your current research?

I work on ancient apocalyptic fantasies and their reception in several religious traditions as well as in secularized contexts. I’m interested in the interplay between mainstream adaptations of apocalyptic imagination in popular culture or public discourse and different, more marginalized alternatives (particularly involving new media and visual art).

What will be your main research focus during your time at Lund University?

I'm developing a book titled "Stories from the End of the World: Apocalyptic Imagination and Its Cultural and Ethical Implications." I will network with Lund’s colleagues to further the project's real-world ethical and cultural impact dimensions with a specific attention for deployments that may foster resilience and empathy instead of the despair, morbidity, and individualism dominating mainstream conversations.