Education

• PhD, Religious Studies, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (Ukraine)

Bio

Dr. Kyselov was trained in religious studies at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (Ukraine), where he earned his PhD (2007). He has occupied different positions at the H. S. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy of Ukraine’s National Academy of Sciences (2006–2016). He also lectured (2007–2013) and conducted research (2016–2018) at the National Pedagogical Dragomanov University (2007–2018). He became a full-time Senior Researcher at H. S. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy in 2019.

He came to the Department of Religious Studies of The University of Alabama as a visiting Fulbright Visiting Scholar in October 2021 and was then hired full-time as an Instructor for the 2022-23 academic year.

Oleg’s book on Christian ecumenism is written in Ukrainian; there, he argues that the particular Church’s position toward ecumenism depends on its ecclesiology. Besides, its ecumenical position is predetermined by its current and potential place in the religious landscape. He also demonstrates that ecumenical relations correlate to the social and political situation in the country or region. In recent years his research has focused on scientific atheism in Soviet Ukraine. One of his claims is that scientific atheism was transformed during Perestroika times; it became closer to the academic study of religion.

As a Fulbright Visiting Scholar, Oleg studied American religious studies’ history and current theoretical issues, e.g., the invention of religion(s) and critique of the World Religions paradigm.

Oleg is a member of the Ukrainian organizations the Workshop for the Academic Study of Religions and the Ukrainian Association of Researches of Religion. He was also a member of the International Study of Religion in Eastern and Central Europe Association (2018–2021).

Dr. Kyselov is also a member of the undergraduate committee.

Selected Publications

• “From Scientific Atheism Toward Religious Studies: a Case of Ukraine?”, Bulletin for the Study of Religion (2023).
• Review of Jenny Vorpahl and Dirk Schuster (eds)., Communicating Religion and Atheism in Central and Eastern Europe, Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe, 42/2 (2022).
• Review of M. Svensson (ed.), Secularization, Desecularization, and Toleration. Cross-Disciplinary Challenges to a Modern Myth, Changing Societies & Personalities, 5/2 (2021).
• “Interaction between Religion and Science: Comprehension of Ukrainian Scientific Atheists,” Studia Sociologica, XII/1 (2020): 140–151.
• “Religion on Maidan: The Case of Orthodox Christians in Ukraine.” In Sebastian Rimestad & Vasilios N. Markieds (eds.), Coping with Change. Orthodox Christian Dynamics between Tradition, Innovation, and Realpolitik (Peter Lang, 2020).
• “Atheism in the Context of the Secularization and Desecularization of Ukraine in the 20th century.” In Tomas Bubik, Atko Remmel, David Vaclavik (eds.), Freethought and Atheism in Central and Eastern Europe: The Development of Secularity and Non-Religion (Routledge, 2020).
• “The Anti-Ecumeniсal Movement in Russian Orthodox Church.” In Bulcsú Hoppál (ed.), Theories and Trends in Religions and in the Study of Religion. (L’Harmattanб 2015).
• Феномен екуменізму в сучасному християнстві (НПУ імені М.П. Драгоманова, 2009).