2004 & 2005
July / August 2005: Summer Academy in Bielefeld

From July 25 to august 7, 2005, we had our first Summer Academy at Bielefeld University with the topic, "Research Strategies in Faith Development and Biographical Study of Contemporary Religion.” Fifteen researchers from Canada, England, the Netherlands, from Turkey and the U.S.A. and three from Germany came to Bielefeld to participate in a two-week intensive program. The theoretical foundations of faith development theory and of the biographic-reconstructive research in religion have been discussed, but especially the research methods in these fields have been not only relected upon, but they have been trained in the computer lab.

Teachers were: Rosina-Martha Csöff, Dr. Catrsten Gennerich, Dr. Barbara Keller, Christopher F. Silver und Prof. Heinz Streib. For guest lectures, we listened to Prof. James Fowler, Atlanta and Prof. Ralph Hood, Chattanooga. With the organisation of the summer academy, we had the help of three student assistents: Ramona Teschner, Sylia Wandschneider and Tanja Zimmermann.
Mai 2005: Sokrates/Erasmus-Teacher Excahnge in Turkey

On the basis of Sokrates/Erasmus cooperation contracts of Bielefeld University with two universities in Turkey, the Cumhuriyet University, Sivas and the Sakarya University, I have visited both universities and taught courses and gave lectures May 14-27, 2005.
Besides the teaching and lecturing, I had talks with colleagues, with the Deans of both theological faculties, and with the Rectors of both universities about the future of student and teacher exchange.

 

Theological Faculty, Cumhuriyet University, Sivas

Dr. Uzeyir Ok

Of special interest for the colleagues and the students in Turkey have been information about the praxis of religious education in Germany and the discussion about the installment of Islamic R.E. in public schools in Germany. Interest for this theme originates not only in the solidarity with the Turkish immigrants in Germany, but also in the question about the structure and content of university teacher education for Islamic R.E. in Germany and in Turkey.

Theological Faculty, Sakarya University
The Rektor of Sakarya University, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Durman presents a gift to Prof. Streib
The colleagues of the theological faculty at Sakarya University

It was surprising how students and colleagues reacted to my lecture on hermeneutics in which I gave a portrayal of the significance of hermeneutics in the history of theology in germany and the U.S.A.. The question of the applicability of a hermenetical apporach to the texts of Islam emerged immediately and has been discussed at length.
Here the promise of such exchange between Christian-theological form Germany and Islamic-theological colleagues in Turkey becomes obvious: in the encounter of different theological-methodological traditions which has the potential to turn out as enriching and innovative for both sides.

This interest in scientific exchange and the remarkable hospitality of my colleagues at the theological faculties in Sivas and Sakarya are memories that last. Results of my talks also were agreements about the future of the Sokrates/Erasmus-Austauschs in the year 2005/2006.

November 2004: International Symposium "Values and Education"

On November 26-28, 2004, the Center for Values Education  in Istanbul hosted an International Symposium on "Values and Education". The paper for this Symposium had the title "Inter-Religious Negotiations: A New Developmental Perspective".
The Document,that will be published in english and turk language in a omnibus volume, is here available.