Norwegian University of Science and Technology
asbjorn.dyrendal@ntnu.no
I am professor of Religious Studies with an emphasis on contemporary religion in the West. I have worked mainly with new religious movements andesotericism, often in conjunction with conspiracy theories
Relevant publications
I started writing about conspiracy theories in the 1990s. It has been the central topic of my work for the past decade, often, but not always intersecting with religion. Some of my work on the topic is interdisciplinary, mostly with psychology, and I use both quantitative and qualitative methods.
Asprem, Egil, and Asbjørn Dyrendal. Conspirituality Reconsidered: How Surprising and How New is the Confluence of Spirituality and Conspiracy Theory? Journal of Contemporary Religion Vol.30, No.3: 367-382. https://doi.org/10.1080/13537903.2015.1081339
Astapova, Anastasiya, Eirikur Bergmann, Asbjørn Dyrendal, Annika Rabo, Kasper Grotle Rasmussen, Hulda Thorisdottir, and Andreas Önnerfors. Conspiracy Theories and the Nordic Countries. London: Routledge. Dyrendal, Asbjørn. Conspiracy Beliefs about Jews and Muslims in Norway. In Christhard Hoffmann and Vibeke Moe (eds.) The Shifting Boundaries of prejudice. Antisemitism and Islamophobia in Contemporary Norway. Oslo:Universitetsforlaget, pp.187-210
Dyrendal, Asbjørn. New Age and Norwegian ‘Conspirituality’. In Gilhus, Ingvild, Siv-Ellen Kraft & James R. Lewis (eds.) New Age in Norway. Equinox, pp.159-181
Dyrendal, Asbjørn. Conspiracy Theory and New Religious Movements. in Inga B. Tøllefsen & James R. Lewis (eds.) Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements vol. 2. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 198-209
Dyrendal, Asbjørn. Hidden Knowledge, Hidden Powers. Esotericism and Conspiracy Culture. In Egil Asprem & Kennet Granholm (eds.) Contemporary Esotericism. London: Equinox Publishing 2013, pp.200-225
Dyrendal, Asbjørn and Terje Emberland. Hva er konspirasjonsteorier Oslo:Universitetsforlaget
Dyrendal, Asbjørn and Daniel Jolley. “Conspiracy theories in the classroom: Problems and potential solutions”. Religions 11(10), 494. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11100494
Dyrendal, Asbjørn, Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair, and Mons Bendixen. “Predictors of belief in conspiracy theory: The role of individualdifferences in schizotypal traits, paranormal beliefs, social dominance orientation, right wing authoritarianism and conspiracy mentality.” Personality and Individual Differences vol.173, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2021.110645
Dyrendal, Asbjørn, Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair, and James R. Lewis. ‘The Role of Conspiracy Mentality and Paranormal Beliefs in Predicting Conspiracy Beliefs Among Neopagans’. International Journal for the Study of New Religions 8(1): 73-97
Dyrendal, Asbjørn, David G. Robertson, and Egil Asprem (eds.) Handbook of Conspiracy Theory and Contemporary Religion. Leiden: Brill. Imhoff, Roland, et al. “Conspiracy Mentality and Political Orientation across 26 countries”. Nature Human Behaviour. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-021-01258-7
Robertson, David G. and Asbjørn Dyrendal. Conspiracy Theories and Religion: Superstition, Seekership, and Salvation. pp.411-421 in Uscinski, Joseph (ed.) Conspiracy Theories and the People Who Believe Them New York: Oxford University Press.
Troian, Jais, et al. “Investigating the Links Between Cultural Values and Belief in Conspiracy Theories: the Key Roles of Collectivism and Masculinity.” Political Psychology 42:4, 597-618. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/pops.12716