ITS-Colloquium in Erfurt

As part of the ITS Colloquium organized by the “Islam and Digitality” research group, scholars from the fields of religious studies as well as Catholic, Protestant, and Islamic theology gathered in Erfurt for a networking event that examined the social media practices of religious influencers.

Together, they discussed questions regarding the ethical use of online materials, as well as aesthetics, political positioning, and the incorporation of religious beliefs into ideological influencing with Islamic and Christian influences, and shared methodological considerations. Interreligious comparison proved particularly fruitful in this context, revealing phenomenological similarities – such as the use of archaic vocabulary borrowed from translations of religious texts, the imitation of a sermon, or the incorporation of prayers of supplication into the content.

In addition to the academic exchange, the ITS Colloquium included a segment strongly focused on scholarly practice, which was led by the invited experts. Prof. Simon Meier-Vieracker from TU Dresden presented discourse-theoretical reflections on ideological influencing via social media. Kai Annabelle Plötzsch – also from TU Dresden – led a workshop designed to encourage researchers to conduct mindful social media research, and Johannes Fröh from the University of Bonn shared insights from his project experience regarding data protection issues in the context of social media research.

The event was organized by project member Jasmin Eder and Marie Briese from TU Dresden.