Karen Lauterbach

Primary fields of research

• Christianity in Africa
• Religion, politics and social change
• Religion, displacement and governance  

Current research

• Institutional trust in Africa
• The spiritual history and topography of urban space
• Religion and development, religious institutions and governance
• Wealth and charismatic Christianity in Africa

Teaching

I teach core courses on 'Introduction to African Studies', 'Religion, Culture and Society' as well as thematic courses on 'Religion and Development' and 'NGOs and Human Rights in Africa'.  

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

CV

I received my MA in International Development Studies and Geography from Roskilde University in 2000. I have taken part of my studies at Manchester Metropolitan University and Université Paris Sorbonne-Paris IV. As a graduate student I interned with UNESCO (Dakar, Senegal). I have worked with a Danish NGO (DanChurchAid) responsible for development and relief work in Ethiopia and Burkina Faso.

Education

2000: Master degree in International Development Studies and Geography, Roskilde University

2009: Ph.D. degree in International Development Studies, Roskilde University

Professional background

2015 -      : Associate Professor, Centre of African Studies, University of Copenhagen

2014-2015: Postdoctoral fellow, Centre for Theology and Religious Studies, Lund University

2011-2014: Assistant Professor, Centre of African Studies, University of Copenhagen

2008-2011: Head of Section, Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation

2004-2008: Ph.D. fellow, Roskilde University

2000-2004: Programme officer, DanChurchAid, Africa section

Membership of boards and administrative positions

2016 -      : Member and chair of Study Board of African Studies, University of Copenhagen

2012-16:    Member of editorial board of Religion and Theology - Journal of Contemporary Religious Discourse

Research grants

'Refugees and Religious Institutions - Emergent Sites of Governance and Ordering in Africa', Postdoctoral grant, Danish Council for Independent Research | Social Sciences (2011-14)

Member of 'Looking for Wholeness in an Enchanted World: Healing, Prosperity and Ritual Action in African Charismatic/Pentecostal Churches', collaborative research project based at Lund University of funded by the Swedish Research Council and Lund Mission Society (2012-17)

Knowledge of languages

Danish (mother tongue), English (fluent), French (fluent), German (working knowledge).