The Centre for Religious History Studies (CEHR) is a research unit of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP), headquartered in Lisbon with an active branch at the Porto Regional Centre. With a national scope and affiliated members from major public universities, CEHR is the only Portuguese unit dedicated to Religious History, recognized as a scientific reference in this field.

CEHR’s mission is to study social phenomena and dynamics through their religious articulations, inscribed in the Portuguese historical space and its spheres of influence, within a global perspective. This approach considers the diversity of contexts, actors, and historical processes, contributing to a deeper understanding of the relationship between religion and society.

Its scientific activity is structured around three axes: Memory, Heritage and Archives; Power, Communities and Territories; Religion, Imaginaries and Social Structures. These axes guide research projects, seminars, scientific meetings, and publications, notably the journal Lusitania Sacra, published in Open Access and indexed in Scopus. CEHR also develops digital platforms such as the Encyclopaedia of Religious History in Portugal (online), the Religious History Portal and PAPIR, dedicated to preserving and disseminating documentary heritage.

In postgraduate training, CEHR hosts doctoral projects and collaborates with interinstitutional programs such as the Interuniversity Doctoral Programme in History (PIUDHist) and with the Master and PhD in History and Culture of Religions at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Lisbon (FLUL). The Porto branch reinforces this mission by promoting scientific and cultural initiatives that bring research closer to society.