Introduction to the Special Issue of Literature and Theology publishing articles based on selected papers from the international conference of the International Society for Religion, Literature and Culture (ISRLC) conference held at the Theological Faculty of the University of Copenhagen 19-21 October 2012 with the theme: Cultures of Transition: Presence, Absence,Memory. The conference was organised by Nils Holger Petersen, Lars Sandbeck and Therese Bering Solten who were invited as guest editors for a volume of Literature and Theology based on the conference.