I teach, conduct research and appear in public. With my projects, I contribute to both academic and socially relevant discussions. 2022 gewann ich eine Marie Skłodowska Curie Fellowship (EU Horizon 2020, 24 Monate) for interdisciplinary research on weddings and media. See www.promising-images.eu.
13.11.2026, 9.30–16.00, university of Zurich
together with Natalie Fritz
On TikTok, "Tradwives" bake bread and quote the Bible, online dating is also possible in a "kosher" way, and AI image programs transform politicians into Jesus figures. These examples show how religion is negotiated in the digital space today. The workshop offers an introduction to media and religion with a focus on platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. In addition to theoretical foundations, various methodological approaches will be presented and tested in group work. The aim is to critically reflect on digital religion and to gain inspiration for classroom use.
Editors Marie-Therese Mäder and Sofia Sjö (eds.), ISSN 2414-0201 (print), ISBN 978-3-7410-0566-4 (online)
Death is often hidden from everyday life, yet omnipresent in media and popular culture. Its representations reflect and shape social understandings of death and mourning. The six contributions to this issue examine death and religion in films, video games, Instagram posts, and a television series. They focus on media perspectives, representations of gender, and the emotions evoked by narratives of death.
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Theologisches Studienseminar Pullach/DE
Religion features in many contexts, including places where one might not necessarily expect it: in TV series on streaming services. In series such as ‘Six Feet Under’, ‘Modern Family’ and ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, religious themes are explored both explicitly and implicitly in a variety of ways. In this study module, we’ll explore different genres of TV series in search of theological clues: we’ll discover how religious themes are addressed and (re)interpreted in the ‘Netflix era’.
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Love, a white dress, a veil, and wedding vows – our ideas of weddings are strongly shaped by media. Films, TV series, social media, and photography stage and negotiate what an “ideal” wedding should look like. At the same time, weddings are diverse rites of passage that connect religious traditions, social values, and individual expectations. This edited volume explores these interrelations from perspectives in religious studies, history, sociology, and cultural studies.
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In this encyclopedia entry I write about "La Passion de Jeanne d’Arc" (1928). The mute film is renowned for its radically reductionist style and Dreyer’s innovative use of close-ups and editing. Focusing solely on Joan’s trial and execution, the film emphasizes her reactions while depicting her prosecutors as threatening through low-angle shots. Minimalist sets and impressionistic montage detach the narrative from historical realism. Falconetti’s intense close-up performance became iconic. The tension between concrete representation and formal abstraction shifts the film into an indeterminate time and space, enabling it to be read as a work of religious art oriented toward spiritual transcendence.
Maeder, Marie-Therese. La Passion de Jeanne d’Arc (1928). Taylor and Francis, 2024. Routledge Encyclopedia of Modernism. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780415249126-REM2167-1.
Mäder, Marie-Therese. „A Variety of Reading Modes: Researching the Consumption/Reception of Media and Religion“. Journal for Religion, Film and Media (JRFM) 11, Nr. 1 (15. Mai 2025).
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Film „Jesus Goes to Hollywood“ (Norbert Busé, DE/FR 2024, 59′)
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Podcast „Wieso nicht eine weibliche Jesus?“ (Host Reflab: Johanna Di Blasi)
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Film „The End of Humanity“ (Oliver Duerr, Jean Marc Furrer, CH 2024, , 57′)
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Interview Berner Fachhochschule News & Stories
‘What does it mean to be human in the age of AI?’ The interview on this question was conducted in the context of the Swiss Digital Days and the panel discussion about the film "The End of Humanity"(Biel/CH, 22 November 2024).
Comparison between the migration of men and women (Gender and Migration, IOM GMDAC 2021).
This article examines the role that gender and religion play in migration processes. Migration should always be understood as a movement in two directions. The experiences of the people involved are at the centre of this. In studies on gender and religion, it proves useful to understand people and their actions within the cultural context; if the focus is only on the borders of nation states and their legal regulations, the actors are often left out. Examining how gender and religion are constructed within migration processes opens up important questions about inequality, resource distribution, dominance, and definitional hierarchies. It allows for a critical interrogation of who controls social definitions and offers a lens through which to analyze underlying structural dynamics.
Screenshot documentary „Iraqui Odyssey“ ( Samir, Irak/CH/DE/Arabische Emirate 2014, 145′)
„Der Beitrag beschäftigt sich mit dem Dokumentarfilm als mediatisiertem Kommunikationsraum, in dem religiös- kulturelle Identitäten im Kontext von Migration konstruiert bzw. kommuniziert werden. Anhand zweier Dokumentarfilme, in denen aus muslimisch geprägten Ländern stammende und nun in der Schweiz lebende Filmemacher ihre Migrations-geschichte thematisieren, analysieren [Marie-Therese Mäder und Monika Glavac] die Verhandlungen von Zugehörigkeit. Zur Erschließung des Kommunikationsraums sowohl auf Produktions- wie auch auf Repräsentationsebene nutzen sie einen mehrdimensionalen Zugang, bestehend aus semistrukturierten qualitativen Interviews mit den Regisseuren sowie der Analyse von Medienberichten und Filmkritiken. Die Autorinnen können zeigen, dass Medien beim Wandel von Identitäten im Kontext von Migration in einer globali- sierten Welt eine wesentliche Rolle spielen, da sie als Mittel für kommunikativ Handelnde die medialen Kommunikationsräume erweitern und verändern.“ (Anke Offerhaus, 2023, 18)
Would you be prepared to show your wedding album to a stranger and share personal experiences, impressions and memories of the day with your husband or wife? Would you mind if the conversation was also recorded by a camera focussing on both you and your wedding pictures? ‘That's a lot to ask,’ you might be thinking. in 2022/ 23, 27 couples in Germany, Italy and Switzerland were willing to engage in such a conversation.
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