Retrieval-Augmented Generation Systems and Virtual Reality for the History of Religions: Methodological Foundations and Future Perspectives

This paper presents preliminary results from an innovative research project integrating Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems with the historical-comparative method applied to the History of Religions, proposing an extension toward Virtual Reality (VR) environments for immersive analysis of religious phenomena. The project's first phase has demonstrated methodological compatibility between the Bianchian historical-comparative approach and artificial intelligence technologies, with particular reference to managing complex documentary corpora and preserving philological rigor. The proposed future development envisions implementing VR interfaces that enable three-dimensional exploration of historical-religious contexts while maintaining source traceability and spatial-temporal contextualization of studied phenomena. The integration of RAG and VR offers unprecedented prospects for comparative visualization of sacred architectures, ritual practices, and iconographic systems belonging to different traditions, opening new possibilities for university teaching and international collaborative research.