The academic workshop “Colours of Faith” will take place on 26 June 2026 at the Berlin Institute for Islamic Theology (BIT) at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. The event is aimed at academics, students and anyone interested in issues relating to religion, personality, aesthetics and society.
The workshop is part of the interdisciplinary research project of the same name, “Colours of Faith”. The project examines the connections between clothing colours, personality structure, religiosity and status attributions among Muslim women who wear headscarves in Germany and Turkey. The focus is on how colour choices are interpreted, experienced and utilised in various everyday social and religious contexts.
During the event, new empirical findings will be presented and discussed from cultural studies and theological perspectives.
At a glance
- What: Academic event “Colours of Faith”
- When: 26 June 2026, 2 pm to 5 pm
- Where: Berlin Institute for Islamic Theology, Hannoversche Straße 6, 10115 Berlin
Registration and programme: No registration is required.
Programme
- 2.00 pm – Welcome and introduction to the research project “Colours of Faith”
by Dr Kübra Özermiş (University of Potsdam) - 2.15 pm – Presentation of findings
by Prof. Dr Axel Buether (University of Wuppertal) and Prof. Dr Tuba Işık (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin) - 15:00–16:30 – Panel
discussion: Between aesthetics, the body and religious self-identification
Discussion on issues of religious visibility, aesthetic self-determination, gender, normativity and social perception
Dr Amani Abuzahra (Vienna), Prof. Dr Tuba Işık, Prof. Dr Axel Buether, Moderator: Dr Kübra Özermiş - 4.30–5.00 pm – Open discussion and outlook
Clothing and colour reflect status and belonging
Clothing and colours shape both people’s self-perception and their social perception. For Muslim women who wear headscarves, the choice of clothing and headscarf colours combines religious beliefs, personality traits and aesthetic preferences. Colours can express modesty, individuality, modernity or social status, whilst also being shaped by cultural contexts and everyday experiences.
Whilst clothing, colour and self-presentation have been extensively studied in psychology, status research and communication studies, there has so far been a lack of systematic empirical studies linking these approaches to religiosity and religious practice in a Muslim context. The research project “Colours of Faith” investigates these connections among Muslim women who wear the headscarf in Germany and Turkey. The focus is on questions regarding the connection between clothing colours, personality structure, religiosity and social attributions, as well as how colour choices are perceived and utilised in different social and religious situations.