Papers by Katja Stuerzenhofecker
Alternative Salvations : Engaging the Sacred and the Secular
We reported a case of reversible but severe upper airway stenosis. The patient complained of only... more We reported a case of reversible but severe upper airway stenosis. The patient complained of only slight discomfort in her throat after waking: she had a history of allergic reaction to contrast medium. Her X ray films showed severe edema in her pharynx. Epiglottitis was diagnosed and we started treatment. It should not be forgotten, that even mild symptoms, such as discomfort in the throat, could indicate the existence of severe epiglottitis.
This paper offers an evidence-based educational case study drawing on apedagogical research proje... more This paper offers an evidence-based educational case study drawing on apedagogical research project which is currently being conducted in Religions andTheology at the University of Manchester. The paper discusses preliminary findingsregarding the effectiveness of a variety of constructivist learning opportunities andhow they are incorporated into institutional assessment strategies. It explores student learning through the use of peer learning, enquiry-based learning, and structured learning journals. The central question is how feminist pedagogy can encourage and support students to experiment with constructivist epistemology in order to foster learning for sustainable development as social justice.
Report on the initial findings of a University of Manchester Investing in Success project, 2010-1... more Report on the initial findings of a University of Manchester Investing in Success project, 2010-11. Delivered at the Religions and Theology Departmental Research Seminar, University of Manchester.
In this short paper I rehearse through the ears of one with a hearing impairment Nelle Morton?s f... more In this short paper I rehearse through the ears of one with a hearing impairment Nelle Morton?s famous feminist theological method of ?hearing into speech? that she articulated in The Journey is Home (1985). I seek to uncover the tacit assumption of universal access to oral-aural communication which Morton herself and most of her many adopters have overlooked. While I recognise the therapeutic and political potential of collective lament and consciousness raising, I offer my own experience of exclusion from this process as a starting point to critique what has become a 'sacred cow' in feminist theology. This critique will be aided by literature in disability studies in order to present the development of communicative practices and identities of hearing-impaired persons as characterised by ?dissociation? (Carol Gilligan, 1997). The resultant survival strategies exclude the hearing impaired person from participation in oral-aural communication, including Morton?s ?hearing int...
Practical Theology, 2020
At the heart of Collaborative Practical Theology is the claim that it has not been common in the ... more At the heart of Collaborative Practical Theology is the claim that it has not been common in the discipline to investigate Christian practices collaboratively (129), and the book makes the case for the benefits of doing so. It aims to achieve this first with a historical survey of academic practical theology that identifies the lack of connection between "theological education, practitioners and everyday believers" (ibid) in spite of the discipline's orientation towards lived religion and its aim for relevance to practitioners. At the same time, practical theology's foundations and development support collaborative approaches. In the second part, de Roest offers concrete suggestions why and how to conduct collaborative practical theological research. De Roest limits his treatment of practical theology to the Christian tradition with a "focus on practices that are in part defined by, and provided with orientation from, the story of Jesus Christ (4)." This includes "Christian practices that occur within ecclesial institutions, but also (…) those which occur on the margins of those institutions, in para-church settings or in issue-focused organizations, in which Christian identity is invoked (5).
Paper title: Widening participation in Theology departments: experiences, needs and motivations o... more Paper title: Widening participation in Theology departments: experiences, needs and motivations of 'unbelievers' Katja Stuerzenhofecker, University of Chester and Manchester What does 'unbelief' mean and who is an 'unbeliever' in the context of Theology departments in UK higher education? What are these students' experiences, needs and motivations? What contributions do they make to academic life and after graduation, and what challenges does their presence pose to staff and students? Whilst Theology programmes in the UK recruit candidates from all faiths and none, and no religious test is required for successful entry, a preponderance of Christian perspectives still predominates, both in the profiles of participants and in what theologian Tom Beaudoin (2016) has termed the implicit 'christianicity' of the discipline. In a recent article, Elaine Graham (2017) argued that addressing this legacy and developing a more inclusive, multifaith curriculum beyond its current Christian boundaries represents a major priority. This paper reports on the interims findings of research to develop a strategy for widening participation in Theology programmes. A wide range of data is collected and generated to gauge how well existing provision is responding to a broad-based student constituency drawn from Christian backgrounds as well as Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist and agnostic traditions. The research considers formal and informal religious affiliation and disaffiliation, inter-religious dialogue and intra-religious debate, and the significance of comparative religious literacy in society.
This paper reports on an evidence-based study of student learning in Religions and Theology at th... more This paper reports on an evidence-based study of student learning in Religions and Theology at the University of Manchester. The research collected alumni perceptions of long-term learning outcomes of the study of contemporary religion on the 2 nd year undergraduate course Religion, Culture and Gender. 'Exoticisation' of contemporary religious Jews, their practices and thought emerges as a key concept that captures some student responses to the curriculum. Post-colonial analysis of the data problematizes the pedagogical value of memorable teaching moments, and their desirable and undesirable outcomes. Description of Religion, Culture and Gender Religions and Theology at Manchester offers non-confessional Jewish Studies in the sense that it is not affiliated with any Jewish religious movement and does not offer rabbinical training and/or Jewish educational training. As a result, significant numbers of students are not Jewish. Religion, Culture and Gender covers critical approaches to the study of gender, gender roles and representations in Jewish and Christian communities. These are explored through the study of religious institutions and practices as well as scriptures and teachings, and they include non-hegemonic and ecofeminist perspectives. The movement of material
This case-study describes the continued evaluation and development of a level-two module, Religio... more This case-study describes the continued evaluation and development of a level-two module, Religion, Culture and Gender. The main aim of this project was to support students' experiential learning of issues and challenges in inter-faith dialogue and other inter-dialogues. The emancipatory theories of feminism that underlie the module are reflected in the pedagogical approach of EBL, which emphasises the active role of the learner in knowledge construction and the link between theory and experience. These are further reflected in the participatory approach taken in the evaluation.
Melilah: Manchester Journal of Jewish Studies (1759-1953), 2019
Melilah: Manchester Journal of Jewish Studies (1759-1953), 2019
Practical Theology, 2020
The entrance of international practical theologians of all faiths and none into the traditionally... more The entrance of international practical theologians of all faiths and none into the traditionally Western-centric, Christian-dominated field in the UK prompts the review of its scope and methodology. This paper argues for a shared conversation on how to achieve constructive and authentic participation for all. A recent survey of alumni from four UKbased Professional Doctorates in Practical Theology highlights omissions and opportunities, and points towards an agenda for intentional and effective pluralization. Evangelical principles and Christian liberation theology suggest internal strategies to counter possible resistance to undoing the Christian hegemony.
Theology, 2019
What happens when the individual struggles to form a sense of self in response to external messag... more What happens when the individual struggles to form a sense of self in response to external messages about them? What kind of theology is required to '[unmask] ideologies and practices which harm selves-in-relation' (p. 21)? Pastoral theologian Katharine Lassiter aims to 'understand how recognition, misrecognition, and denial of recognition work on individual psyches, between people, in our social and political lives, and in theologies and their praxis' (p. 8). She offers concrete steps for what she terms just care work that supports 'wholeness and healing' (p. 19). Lassiter (p. 10) argues that this is a necessary alternative to theological discourse that mis-or non-recognizes the subjectivity of persons outside the normative: 'Theological recognition starts from experiences of marginalization and oppression within ecclesial systems' (p. 29). Recognition is defined as 'the capacity, ability, and willingness to see another person as they are and as they hope to become' (p. 4). It is an intersubjective as well as a social process that nurtures human development for personal growth and the creation of a more just society. Lassiter offers this as a corrective to the focus on identity in feminist pastoral theology, which she considers to be insufficient to 'guarantee just care': 'identity ought not to become the good in itself. Rather it must be a means to understand the things that impede our flourishing, to discover new places of resilience, hope, metanoia and transformation. .. Slavish attention to identity may obscure the nuances of personal and social suffering' (p. 24). Recognizing Other Subjects enters into critical conversation with key voices from a range of disciplines, such as practical theologians Elaine Graham, Barbara McClure and Pamela Cooper White (Chapters 1 and 2), psychoanalyst Jessica Benjamin (Chapter 3), critical social theorist Judith Butler (Chapter 4), and queer theologian Marcella Althaus-Reid (Chapter 5). This multidisciplinary engagement provides the foundation for Lassiter's constructive proposal of public responses to injustice (Chapter 6) and her seven-point programme for a feminist pastoral theology of recognition (Chapter 7), which forms the heart of the book. Instead of the customary conclusion, Lassiter's comparatively short self-reflection (Chapter 8) invites the reader to see how her programme might be put into practice. It is apparent that Lassiter's critique and proposal are informed by her experience as a practitioner working with marginalized individuals and communities. While the book makes a theoretical contribution to the refinement of theological conceptions of subjectivity, her ultimate concern is with praxis. This
Researching Female Faith, 2017
Religious and spiritual engagement has undergone multiple significant changes in recent decades. ... more Religious and spiritual engagement has undergone multiple significant changes in recent decades. Researching Female Faith is a collection of essays based on recent and original field research conducted by the contributors, and informed by a variety of theoretical perspectives, into the faith lives of women and girls - broadly from within a Christian context. Essays describe and recount original qualitative research that identifies, illuminates and enhances our understanding of key aspects of women's and girls' faith lives. Offered as a contribution to feminist practical and pastoral theology, the essays arise out of and feed back into a range of mainly UK pastoral and practical contexts. While the essays in this volume will contribute to an enhanced appreciation and analysis of female faith, the core focus is on feminist qualitative research methods and methodology. Thus, they demystify and illuminate the process of research, including features of research which are frequently under-examined. The book is a first in bringing together a specific focus on feminist qualitative research methodology with the study of female faith lives. It will therefore be of great interest to students, academics and practitioners with interests in faith and gender in theology, religious studies and sociology.
Journal of Adult Theological Education, 2015
Abstract This article develops a context-specific approach to learning and teaching of Practical ... more Abstract This article develops a context-specific approach to learning and teaching of Practical Theology in non-confessional settings in higher education. Where Practical Theology is not linked to ministerial training and exclusively Christian discipleship, the first task is to redefine its purpose for a diverse body of students and staff of all faiths and none. The classroom is conceived here as a space for ‘thinking differently’ in dialogue with alterity about contemporary issues in lived religion with the aim of shaping ethically engaged habitus. This is framed as the process of ‘becoming divine’ through self-transcendence and active contribution to this-worldly transformation. Underlying this approach is a theological anthropology of the human subject as fragment which is open to the future. The use of autoethnography is explored as a method for narrative identity formation which complements and is complemented by engagement with public debate. The non-confessional setting draws attention to fluid identities beyond the binary of ‘church’ and ‘world’, and to issues of pluralism in identity formation. Finally, questions arise regarding the role of the educator and the management of their own ‘confession’.
Zehavit Gross, Lynn Davies, Al-Khansaa Diab (eds.), 2013. Gender, Religion and Education in a Cha... more Zehavit Gross, Lynn Davies, Al-Khansaa Diab (eds.), 2013. Gender, Religion and Education in a Chaotic Postmodern World, Dordrecht: Springer. 392pp. Hbk. ISBN 978-94-007-5269-6. £117. Individual chapter download £19.95. This collection of 24 chapters presents case studies of formal and informal education from 15 different countries. Its stated aim is “to enhance interdisciplinary discourse on the complex interrelations between gender, religion, and education in today’s world” (p. 1). The premise of the collection is that in what the editors’ term ‘chaotic postmodernity’, social processes including those related to gender, religion and education are fluid and subject to change in the absence of stability. At the same time, the authors investigate the ways in which education actively serves to preserve or change society and its gender regimes (p.3). Conversely, changes to religious and gendered definitions are examined as challenges to education (ibid.). Several case studies explore diaspora and resistance perspectives, and different religious groups within one locality, including Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity.
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Papers by Katja Stuerzenhofecker
This collection of 24 chapters presents case studies of formal and informal education from 15 different countries. Its stated aim is “to enhance interdisciplinary discourse on the complex interrelations between gender, religion, and education in today’s world” (p. 1). The premise of the collection is that in what the editors’ term ‘chaotic postmodernity’, social processes including those related to gender, religion and education are fluid and subject to change in the absence of stability. At the same time, the authors investigate the ways in which education actively serves to preserve or change society and its gender regimes (p.3). Conversely, changes to religious and gendered definitions are examined as challenges to education (ibid.). Several case studies explore diaspora and resistance perspectives, and different religious groups within one locality, including Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity.
Whilst Theology programmes in the UK recruit candidates from all faiths and none, and no religious test is required for successful entry, a preponderance of Christian perspectives still predominates, both in the profiles of participants and in what theologian Tom Beaudoin (2016) has termed the implicit ‘christianicity’ of the discipline. In a recent article, Elaine Graham (2017) argued that addressing this legacy and developing a more inclusive, multi-faith curriculum beyond its current Christian boundaries represents a major priority.
This paper reports on the interims findings of research to develop a strategy for widening participation in Theology programmes. A wide range of data is collected and generated to gauge how well existing provision is responding to a broad-based student constituency drawn from Christian backgrounds as well as Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist and agnostic traditions. The research considers formal and informal religious affiliation and disaffiliation, inter-religious dialogue and intra-religious debate, and the significance of comparative religious literacy in society.
The paper draws on interpretative phenomenological analysis of alumni perceptions of long-term learning outcomes of a second-year undergraduate course in the study of contemporary Christianity and Judaism. The data raises questions about the impact of pedagogical design on students’ present and future thought and action, and uncovers issues of differential attainment arising for some student groups. I employ theological concepts to critically interrogate the alumni’s needs, motivations and intentions, and thus arrive at a deeper understanding of the data. At the same time, the data uncovers exclusive and damaging universalisms in the theological concepts that require revision.