An (audio-) visual lens on religion and religiosity

• This session aims at bringing forth and exemplifying visual methods and materials in capturing expressions, ideas and experiences related to religion and religiosity. Visual methods are rarely used in the academic study of religions, despite the accessibility and penetrating power that images have gained in modernity. The use of film and photography are becoming increasingly widespread in other fields of research, for instance to apprehend embodied and multisensory aspects (Pink, 2011), power relations (Sontag, 1978), and subconscious properties that are reflected but not displayed (Grimes, 2014). The use of visual material further invites the researcher – as well as the audience – to participate and gain empathic insight into that which is depicted (Pink, 2011). In my paper, the methodology and empirical material from a number of ’photographic life story interviews’ is presented. The research project described aims at gaining insights about the religiosity of 17 young adults on the autism spectrum. This is done by assigning the participants the role of the expert, preparing their own interviews by taking photos of aspects deemed relevant, and then guiding the researcher through the photos. Visual methods have great potential for researchers studying religion and religiosity through ethnographic, anthropological and phenomenological methodologies. Besides making the interviews predictable and thus more comfortable for individuals on the autism spectrum, the collaborative method presented here has contributed to illuminating significant and multisensory aspects which may otherwise have been lost. 

Subject headings

HUMANIORA  -- Filosofi, etik och religion -- Religionsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- Philosophy, Ethics and Religion -- Religious Studies (hsv//eng)

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

kon (subject category)