Institute for Studies of Religion
The Institute for Studies of Religion (in Portuguese, Instituto de Estudos da Religião or ISER) is a Brazilian left-of-center religious-based research and environmental activist nonprofit based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It functions as a “think and do tank,” producing academic research, studies, data analysis, and social intervention projects. The ISER’s work focuses on the relationship between religion and social issues, including human rights, public security, the environment, democracy, and social inequalities. 1
The ISER is partnered with or receives funding from several American left-of-center organizations, including the Ford Foundation, 2 the Open Society Foundations, and GreenFaith. 3
History
The Institute for Studies of Religion was founded in 1970 in the city of Campinas in São Paulo state and was originally named the Higher Institute of Theological Studies (Instituto Superior de Estudos Teológicos) until it was changed to ISER in 1973. The organization was created with support from the World Council of Churches. The founders were a group of politically left-wing Catholic and Protestant theologians, researchers, and scientists who wanted to focus on the role of religion in Brazilian society, often in opposition to the nationalist authoritarian regime governing Brazil at the time. 4
In 1979, the institute moved its headquarters to Rio de Janeiro, where it consolidated its structure and expanded its mission. While initially focused on theology and the social sciences of religion, the ISER broadened its scope to address social issues. This included research in the 1990s on the growth of evangelicalism in Brazil, as well as developing long-standing projects on public security, police violence, and human rights in Rio de Janeiro. 5 6