معرفی
Dr. Christoph Günther is a researcher at the Institute of Ethnology and African Studies at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, where he leads a BMBF-funded Junior Research Group on Jihadism on the Internet since 2017. Previously, he served as a Guest Professor at the same institution during Summer Semester 2016, hosted by Prof. Dr. Matthias Krings. His academic journey includes research positions at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology in Halle/Saale until 2016 and teaching appointments at the Universities of Marburg and Leipzig.
- PhD from University of Leipzig (2013)
- MA in Islamic Studies, History and Arabic Studies from University of Bamberg (2002-2008)
- Studies at University of Cairo (2004/2005)
- DFG Research Training Group Fellow at University of Leipzig (2010-2013)
Dr. Günther specializes in the ideology and visual culture of the Islamic State (IS), with particular focus on jihadist online propaganda, visual communication strategies, and the intersection of religious ideology with state-building aspirations. His research examines how IS constructs authority through visual media and how these materials are received and appropriated by various audiences. He is recognized as an expert in this field and is frequently consulted by media outlets for his in-depth knowledge of IS propaganda mechanisms.
His research has identified significant shifts in jihadist propaganda quality since 2013, moving beyond traditional political or Islamic studies approaches to incorporate media-cultural and media-anthropological perspectives. This interdisciplinary approach provides novel insights into jihadists' self-perception and how their messaging resonates with different audiences, including non-regional viewers in the 'Global North' and regional Arabic-speaking populations.
- Regular media commentator on IS ideology and visual culture
- Organizer of the 'Jihadi Audiovisualities' conference (October 2018)
- Conducted research on IS propaganda targeting Western audiences
- Investigated regional Arabic material from Syria and Iraq
- Analyzed Boko Haram's Hausa-language propaganda
Dr. Günther's work bridges academic research and practical counter-terrorism efforts through his contributions to understanding jihadist justification narratives and potential counter-narratives. His research has significant societal relevance given the evolving nature of online radicalization and the professionalization of jihadist media production.
