The Sociology of Religion is the main focus in the thinking of Professor Apostolos Nikolaidis, shaping a framework of reference and interpretation, not only of religion itself, but also of the social reality that surrounds it. It deals with all those issues that have concerned the most important theorists of Sociology, such as forms of power, political and economic behavior, the functioning of institutions, as well as the forms of reproduction of ideologies, such as the exercise of social control and the critique of religious institutions. It not only describes these issues, but analyzes them, while at the same time proposing possible solutions to the social problems that arise.
In the rich body of work of Professor Nikolaidis, one can discern a social thinker who attempts to leverage theological thought through sociology. To awaken it and direct it within its social environment, in order to regain an intrinsic interest in humanity and its needs. After all, his starting point from the great intellectual Ernst Bloch seems to shape the framework of his thinking for a "new anthropology of religion." His observation that "man and God are on the way" means that the actions of both do not take place in some otherworldly space, but within the same historical reality.
The exhortation to action is a fundamental prerequisite for Professor Nikolaidis. With all the issues he deals with, he attempts an expanded mobilization of people for action, which has deeply political characteristics, not only for citizens, but also for the religious. Only in this way does a person ultimately come to know themselves and be useful to others. Even dialogue is a basic prerequisite for mobilizing participants in it and, of course, an opportunity for action that is not only religious, but extends to all forms of social life. Moreover, in the thinking of Professor Nikolaidis, the invitation to religious action presupposes political responsibility with respect for democratic principles and values, human rights, human freedom, and dignity.