Dainese's research deals mainly with three general themes (mysticism, political theology, conciliar history) and three eras (Late Antiquity, Modern and Contemporary Ages). Moreover, his scientific interests cover the whole spectrum of christian history (i.e. also the christian – both Latin and Greek – middle ages).
Dainese is also board member of the PhD program in "Jewish Studies", set up by the Bologna University.
Christianity in Late Antiquity
Under this perspective, Dainese's research is the most abundant, as he has published a variety of titles. Dainese has dealt with the so-called Alexandrian Tradition in three perspectives: mysticism (Alexandrian Judaism, Gnosticism, Clement of Alexandria and Origen), political theology and its deep roots (Eusebius of Caesarea), conciliar history (mostly the Council of Nicaea, but also sindodality/conciliarity in the first millennium).
Christianity in the Early Modern Era
As far as the Early Modern Era is concerned, Dainese has been working on the five first decades after the Council of Trent. Now he is switching to the wars of religion between the XVI and the XVII century, focusing on both the so-called "reception of the Church Fathers" and the history of law and political thought.
Christianity in the Contemporary Era
As for the Contemporary Era, Dainese have worked on two main cores: the papacy of pope Francis, and on the relationships between cardinal Giacomo Lercaro and Giuseppe Dossetti on liturgy before and after the Vatican II.
Finally, as editor-in-chief of the series Conciliorum Oecumenicorum Generaliumque Decreta which is published within the "Corpus Christianorum", infine, Dainese published in critical edition the decrees of the Catholic Church and of the Orthodox Churches from the Middle Ages up to the Contemporary Era.
