Yaşar Sarıkaya

Yaşar Sarıkaya (born September 1, 1965 in Turkey ) has been a full professor of Islamic theology and its didactics at the Justus Liebig University in Giessen since the 2013/14 winter semester .

Career

Yaşar Sarıkaya studied Islamic theology at the University of Ankara as well as Oriental Studies, Islamic Studies and Education at the Ruhr University Bochum . In 2004 he received his doctorate on the subject of Abū Saʿīd Muḥammad al-Ḫādimī (1701–1762): Networks, Career and Influence of an Ottoman Provincial Scholar. Sarıkaya was one of the first teachers to teach the subject “Islamic Studies in German”, which was introduced in North Rhine-Westphalia in the 1999/2000 school year, in Duisburg and Paderborn. In addition, he held several teaching positions at the Goethe University in Frankfurt. From 2008 to 2009 he was director of the private course for teaching Islamic religion at compulsory schools in Vienna (IRPA). After constant controversy about his attempts to reform the training of Islamic religion teachers according to modern religious pedagogy and didactic criteria, he stepped down in the summer of 2009. In 2010 Sarıkaya completed his habilitation in Islamic Religious Education in Istanbul. In the 2011/2012 winter semester he took on the substitute professorship for Islamic theology and its didactics at the Justus Liebig University in Giessen. In this role, he set up the undergraduate teaching degree course “Islamic Religion L1” and designed the advanced training course for the school subject “Islamic Religion.” In the 2013/2014 winter semester, he was appointed full professor for Islamic theology and its didactics.

Scientific focus

His academic focus includes Islamic religious education and specialist didactics in a modern context, the history of Islamic education and ideas as well as the biography and tradition of the prophets. His numerous publications, scientific lectures and discussion contributions are also dedicated to these topics.

Positions

Sarıkaya represents a modern religious educational approach that focuses on the education of the individual to become religiously mature. In addition, a consistent interreligious dialogue orientation should enable a sustainable rapprochement with the "other", the reduction of prejudices and the promotion of mutual acceptance and tolerance.

Publications (selection)

• Abū Saʿīd Muḥammad al-Ḫādimī (1701–1762): Networks, Career and Influence of an Ottoman Provincial Scholar. Hamburg 2005.
• Development of modern Islamic religious education in Turkey in the 20th century (with Bülent Ucar). Hamburg 2009.
• 401 hadiths for teaching Islam. Hückelhoven 2011.
• Muhammad: a prophet - many facets. (with Mark Chalil Bodenstein, Erdal Toprakyaran). Münster: Lit 2014.
• Islamic religious education. Key questions from theory, empiricism and practice (with Adem Aygün). Münster: Waxmann 2016.
• Departure to new shores: tasks, problems and profiles of Islamic religious education in a European context (with Franz-Josef Bäumer). Münster: Waxmann 2017.
• Be amazed and understand 1-2: Islamic religious instruction in primary school: 1./2. School year (with Adem Aygün). Wassenberg: Schulbuchverlag Anadolu 2017.

Web links

• Website of the professorship for Islamic theology and its didactics at JLU Giessen
• Prof. Sarikaya on the fear of Islamization and the possibilities of dialogue
• "Love and Compassion at the Center of Islam"
• Prof. Yasar Sarikaya developed Islamic religious education for primary school teachers at JLU
• A historic step at the University of Giessen: the introduction of Islamic theology and its didactics