Johan Nilsson is a PhD candidate in the history of religions at the Centre for Theology and Religious Study, Lund University. Nilsson is primarily interested in esoteric and occult movements active during the 19th and 20th century. In his research and teaching he focuses on questions pertaining to the interaction between esoteric movements and broader societal trends, such as the political engagement of some esoteric movements in questions of universal suffrage and the temperance movement. Nilsson is currently working on a project studying the impact of occult movements during the late 19th and early 20th century on the perception of East Asian religion.