09/07/2025 15:15
- 17:30
HALL: Lecture Hall 50
Proponent:
Gärtner C.,
Hennig L.
Chair:
Gärtner C.
Speaker:
Bakhshizadeh M.,
Hennig L.,
Mehmedi I.,
Ucar E.
Historically, sermons in Islam have had the function of teaching norms (beyond the legal sphere) and ethical education. They contribute to the understanding of rituals and convey the knowledge associated with them. As rituals of interaction, they form group identity, but they can also be a medium of political communication. In post-migrant society, the role of imams is complex and changes. There is not always a match between imams, who are often trained abroad, and the needs of community members, who vary according to generation and socialisation context. In addition, imams face many different expectations from people outside the community. Social, political and media discourses are predominantly critical and even hostile towards Islam. The panel will discuss the extent to which imams refer to the social context, the minority position of Muslims and discourses about Islam. This includes how they define group identity internally and externally, how they address relations with non-Muslims, and what norms of social coexistence they promote. What religious values, norms, attitudes and patterns of interpretation do sermons convey, and what political implications, if any, are attached to them? Is there a fundamental change in the form and function of sermons, or do the political references simply relate more strongly to the post-migrant social context? We encourage papers that explore different settings of religious speech and teaching (such as khu?ba, wa??, lesson, lecture, including virtual space). How do preachers establish authority in their sermons, and what rival authorities do they distinguish themselves from? We are also interested in the reception of sermons (and other formats). To what extent do they shape, confirm or irritate Muslims' understanding of norms, if there is any agreement on content at all? What are the differences between mosques of different orientations, assuming that they compete for audiences?