Page - 17 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 03/02

Using Media to Teach Religious Studies | 17www.jrfm.eu 2017, 3/2, 17–35 Mirko Roth Using Media to Teach Religious Studies Reflections on Second-order Mediatisation of Religions aBstraCt in terms of media theories, teaching religious studies provides a second-order media- tisation of religious phenomena – a mediatisation of phenomena already mediatised by religious traditions. That tension needs to be reflected upon, as it raises a number of questions before we even reach the classroom. furthermore, in class another ten- sion comes to light, between teaching objectives and their limits. By formulating a hypothesis and problematising these tensions, this article develops a strategy based on the application of a concept of “competence acquisition”. how this strategy might look in a teaching scenario is demonstrated from an introductory seminar on islam. KeyWords didactics, mediatisation, communication and media theory, religious communication and media BioGraPhy Mirko roth is a postdoctoral member of the department for the history of religions at Marburg University. he has been teaching religious studies for more than ten years and holds several certificates in the field of didactics. His research focuses on ritual and performance theories, communication and media theories as well as the history of islam and Cuban santería. The medial mediation of religions in higher education – a second-order media- tisation – should not be forgotten in any volume on strategies of representing religion in scholarly approaches. Even brief reflection on the use of media in teaching religious studies results in any number of questions that might be dis- cussed. some of these questions are based on fundamental considerations that long precede any specific reflections on the use of media use or teaching meth- odologies. these include, most importantly, (1) What do we want to achieve through the teaching of religious studies? What are our learning objectives? And (2) What can the teaching of religious studies achieve? Where are the limits? DOI: 10.25364/05.3:2017.2.2