I joined King’s in 2006, after receiving a PhD in Sociology from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) where I also taught and did research. Earlier in my life, I taught History at a Moscow School of Arts, and even had a stint as its headmaster. The fascinating and at times frustrating changes immediately before and after the fall of the Soviet Union reinforced my interest in the social scientific study of religion, which remains my abiding interest (alongside theatre and music!).

I am particularly interested in the intersections between religion and politics, both domestic and international, and in the origins and consequences of religious innovation across religious traditions in a variety of contexts. My current foci are on the construction of 'sacred' at times of war and in postcolonial and neocolonial contexts, and on religious minorities and religiously motivated radicalism in Russia and globally, as well as on the new trends in the Russian Christian Orthodoxy and Islam. I am co-editor of Religion, State & Society - a leading journal in the area of religion and politics.

Research interests

• The sociology of religion, with special reference to religious change, minorities, and new religious movements in global perspective
• The construction of 'sacred' at times of war and international conflicts - as shaped by changing social relations, and politics – both domestic and international
• Transformation of religion in postcolonial contexts
• Radical expressions of religion at the individual, group, and state levels and the possibility of de-radicalising strategies
• Religion and identity in relation to personal faith, ethnicity and nationhood

Publications

Islam in Russia: Religion, Politics and Society, edited by Simons , G. (Editor), Shterin, M. (Editor) & Shiraev, E. (Editor), 15 Jan 2023, Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers.

Russia's Muslims with and without Islam', in Islam in Russia: Religion, Politics & Society . Simons, G., Shterin, M. & Shiraev, E. (eds.). Boulder, Co; London: Lynne Rienner Publishers, p. 11 - 30

Academic Expertise and Anti-Extremism Litigation in Russia: Focusing on Minority Religions', The Soviet and Post-Soviet Review. 46, 2, p. 211-236

Religion and the Rise of Populism, edited by D. Nilsson DeHanas and Marat Shterin

Friends and Foes of the "Russian World": Post-Soviet State's Management of Religious Diversity', in Politics and Practice of Religious Diversity: Local Contexts, Global Issues . Dawson, A. (ed.). London & New York City : Routledge, London & New York, p. 29-48

Teaching

• Introduction to the Sociology of Religion
• Religion in International Relatio
• Colonialism and Decolonisation
• New Religious Movements in Global Perspective
• Contemporary Religious Movements

Undergraduate

• Introduction to the Sociology of Religion
• Religion in Social and Political Context: Sociological Perspectives
• New Religious Movements in Global Perspective 

Postgraduate

• Religion in Contemporary Society: advanced sociological theory and method 
• World Religions and Modernity: sociological perspectives 
• Contemporary Religious Movements: appeal, commitment, controversies, and public policies 

PhD supervision

I would be happy to discuss proposals on a variety of topics and issues beyond my own thematic and geographical locus, providing potential applicants are interested in working within social scientific perspectives. 

For more details, please see his full research profile.

Expertise and public engagement

I have appeared in numerous interviews with the mass media (BBC World Service and Radio Four, CNN, Sky News, etc.) on a variety of topics, ranging from ‘radicalisation’, secularism, and faith-motivated violence to religion and politics in Russia and Ukraine. I am happy to continue my engagement with the media on a broad range of issues of religion, society, and politics

I have participated in leading roles in many public panels on religion and society, such as Westminster Faith and Society debates, where I was a speaker on Religion and Radicalisation.

I have provided consultancy and talks for civil service, NGOs, law companies and other public bodies. These ranged from expert conclusions on particular religious groups to talks on Religion and the Fall of the Soviet Union for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Further Details