The project examines the historical, intercultural dynamics of mental health care in Lutindi, Tanzania, which was run by Bethel’s diaconal mission from 1896 onwards. Drawing on archival research and oral history, the study explores the limitations and missed opportunities of early Western European efforts to incorporate and engage in dialogue with local African healing traditions and knowledge systems. The analysis highlights the colonial imposition of biomedical and Christian-diaconal paradigms, which often dismissed indigenous practices as superstition, whilst also – albeit rarely – revealing instances of respectful engagement. Lutindi emerges as a liminal space where contrasting notions of mental health, illness and diaconal care – including theological concepts of health, illness and healing – intersect, often bypassing European colonial frameworks and fostering intra-Tanzanian negotiation processes. The paper aims to initiate a discussion on a post- and decolonial approach (not only) to mental health discourses and the question of how to explore the plurality of regional knowledge systems and their historical entanglements with Western concepts. Furthermore, the importance of participatory, transdisciplinary research will be highlighted – integrating oral histories and local voices. 

Guests are welcome; please send a brief registration to glocal.religiosities@uni-erfurt.de

The international conference ‘God, Human, Machine: Images and Imaginaries of Religion in the Age of AI’ critically examines how AI technologies are reshaping religious images and conceptions, and how they engage with the symbolic, affective and sensory dimensions of religious life and practice across traditions, cultures and social contexts.

Venue: IBZ seminar room, Michaelisstr. 38, 99084 Erfurt

Throughout history, across religions and cultures, narratives have played a crucial role in establishing shared understandings, convictions and systems. It is a fundamental premise of the humanities that there are no religions and no cultures without narrative. Beyond mere storytelling, narratives exert immense performative power: they do not simply describe the world; they actively bring religious beliefs, social realities, moral boundaries and societal identities into being. They provide the frameworks through which knowledge and facts are transmitted and interpreted, enabling societies to make sense of crises, legitimise transitions and sustain a sense of continuity.

This workshop brings together participants and experts from different disciplines to explore and develop new approaches to the conceptualisation of narratives. It invites PhD candidates and early-career postdoctoral researchers to examine the role of narratives and narratology across fields such as Religious Studies, Theology and Cultural Studies. By bridging different ‘worlds’ — disciplinary, temporal and conceptual — the workshop seeks to shed light on how communities construct meaning, negotiate identity and articulate belief.

We kindly ask you to register in advance using the email address listed below.

glocal.religiosities@uni-erfurt.de

Download the programme here

The Department of Religious Studies and the Max-Weber-Kolleg at the University of Erfurt are delighted to host the fourth German South Asia Day on 26 and 27 June 2026. We warmly welcome academics at all stages of their careers from the humanities and social sciences, particularly those whose research focuses on modern and contemporary South Asia.

Address: research building "Weltbeziehungen", Max-Weber-Allee 5, 99089 Erfurt 

Conference fee: €25 / €15 reduced (with valid proof of matriculation and registration). 

Registration: Please register by 5 June 2026 via suedasientag@uni-erfurt.de, providing your full postal address and attaching proof of eligibility for the reduced fee, if applicable. 

The invoice will be issued following registration. Payment and proof of payment must be submitted by 20 June 2026. 

Further information/programme at:

https://www.uni-erfurt.de/universitaet/aktuelles/veranstaltungskalender/eventdetail/vierter-deutscher-suedasientag