Religions in Asia, particularly South and Southeast Asia

Research in this field explores the history as well as the current development of religions in Asia. Religion is always addressed in the context of social, societal and political processes (e.g. Christianisation, de/colonialization, secularisation, individualisation and pluralisation). The regional focal points include Indonesia, India and Tibet in particular.

Isabel Jakob: Religion, Space and Nation: Hindu Temples in Germany – Between Lived Religion, Diasporic Community-Building and Transnational Political Interconnections. (PhD project)

Gerrit Lange: Naiṇī Mātā – Cobra Mum. Performing the Feelings, Selfhood and Serpenthood of the Nine Divine Mothers of Pindar Valley in the Indian central Himalaya
Ethnographic study on the significance of emotion and performance in the interaction with and presence of deities in forms of everyday religious practice in contemporary India (PhD project, recently completed).

Prof. Dr. Edith Franke: “Acceptance, Distinction and Exclusion: Power Relations in Religious Majority–Minority Constellations in Indonesia”
Publication project in co-operation with the DFG Network (MMK) “Patterns in the relationship between religious minorities and majorities in pluralistic societies”

Dr. Susanne Rodemeier: coming soon

Eun-Joo Shim: Korea – a land of strong women, or not? An analysis of the significance of ‘han’ for women’s shamanistic religiosity in Korea (PhD project)