About
Prof. Dr. Christine Aka serves as Professor at the Institute of Cultural Anthropology, University of Oldenburg, specializing in religious ethnology and rural cultural studies. Her academic career spans over two decades with significant contributions to European ethnology, particularly focusing on Catholic traditions in Northwestern Germany. Previously holding acting professorships at Regensburg, Münster, Bonn, and Mainz universities, she transitioned from freelance research in religious ethnology to her current institutional position after spring 2019.
Her educational foundation was established through studies in folklore/European ethnology and history at the University of Münster, complemented by professional development at cultural institutions including the Telgte Nativity Scene Museum. She achieved her habilitation in 2005, qualifying for full professorship in the German academic system and demonstrating advanced research capability.
Prof. Aka's research program consistently examines the intersection of religious practice and rural community dynamics, with particular emphasis on material religious culture and seasonal labor migration. Her work reveals how Catholic traditions in the Oldenburg Münsterland region have adapted to modern contexts while maintaining cultural continuity. Methodologically innovative, she frequently incorporates autoethnographic elements that bridge personal experience with academic analysis, as demonstrated in publications like 'Mein Dorf im Buch' where she explores volunteer work as 'doing Ländlichkeit' (rural identity construction).
Her extensive publication record shows a clear evolution from historical studies of religious material culture toward contemporary analyses of transnational missionary networks, while maintaining strong regional focus. Recent work demonstrates increasing attention to how local Catholic communities connect with global solidarity movements, particularly examining the scaling of networks from historical 'Heidenmission' (pagan missions) to modern 'Solidarität in der Einen Welt' (solidarity in one world).
Prof. Aka demonstrates significant collaborative capacity through numerous co-edited volumes and multi-author publications. Her work with the KLJB State Association Oldenburg on Togo partnership projects reflects commitment to international cultural exchange. While specific grant details aren't provided, her sustained publication output across multiple decades indicates successful research funding acquisition throughout her career.
Her research methodology involves close collaboration with regional museums and cultural institutions across Northwest Germany. The Telgte Nativity Scene Museum and Museum Kranenburg have featured her curatorial work, showing strong integration between academic research and public cultural presentation. Her ethnographic film 'First Mass in Hagstedt' (2012) demonstrates multimodal research approaches beyond traditional scholarly publishing, capturing religious practices through visual media.
