Karen Lauterbach

Karen Lauterbach

Associate Professor

Primary fields of research

  • Christianity in Africa
  • Religion, culture and social change
  • Lived religion and displacement 

Current research

  • Old Parks, New Futures: Documenting the Uses of Open Space in an African City (British Academy grant)
  • The spiritual history and topography of urban space
  • Institutional trust in Africa (Research grant from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology)
  • Wealth and charismatic Christianity in Africa

Teaching

I teach the core courses 'Introduction to African Studies', 'Religion, Culture and Society' and 'Advanced Research Methods' as well as thematic courses on 'Religion, Popular Culture and the Media' and 'Religion and Development'. In the past I have taught courses on 'NGOs, civil society and development in Africa', 'African mobilities', and 'Elite and Power'.  

I supervise masters theses on religion, migration, culture and identity, representations of Africa, NGOs and development.  

Selected publications

  1. Published

    The Generation of Trust in Political Parties in Ghana

    Lauterbach, Karen & Bob-Milliar, G. M., 2021, In: Africa Today. 68, 2, p. 81-100 18 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

  2. Published

    'A Refugee Pastor in a Refugee Church': Refugee-Refugee Hosting in a Faith-Based Context

    Lauterbach, Karen, 2021, In: Migration and Society. 4, 1, p. 149-162 14 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

  3. Published

    Fakery and Wealth in African Charismatic Christianity: Moving Beyond the Prosperity Gospel as Script

    Lauterbach, Karen, 2019, Faith in African Lived Christianity - Bridging Anthropological and Theological Perspectives. Lauterbach, K. & Vähäkangas, M. (eds.). Brill, p. 111-132

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingBook chapterResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Christianity, Wealth, and Spiritual Power in Ghana

    Lauterbach, Karen, 2017, Palgrave Macmillan. 233 p.

    Research output: Book/ReportBookpeer-review

  5. Published

    Religious Entrepreneurs in Ghana

    Lauterbach, Karen, 2016, Cultural entrepreneurship in Africa. Röschenthaler, U. & Schulz, D. (eds.). Routledge, p. 19-36 18 p.

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingBook chapterResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Religion and Displacement in Africa: Compassion and Sacrifice in Congolese Churches in Kampala, Uganda

    Lauterbach, Karen, 2014, In: Religion and Theology: A Journal of Contemporary Religious Discourse. 21, 3-4, p. 290-308 19.

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

  7. Becoming a pastor. Youth and social aspirations in Ghana

    Lauterbach, Karen, 2010, In: Young. 18, 3, p. 259-278

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

ID: 34358506