Workgroup for Empiric Research of Religion (AGER)

Sonja Buchmann

As a psychologist of religion I am interested in the effects of religion and religiousness on the people: In what ways do people with various degrees of religiosity differ? What kind of personality profiles do religious and highly religious people have? What kind of interpretative schemes do highly religious people draw on? How are emotions charged religiously?

And as a teacher of religion I advocate an interdisciplinary research that is related to practice. Besides conveying knowledge about religions ethical questions of everyday school life and the approach at school to topics such as death and grief are important issues.

Contact: e-mail

Curriculum Vitae

July 2013: M.Sc. in psychology and science of religion, University of Zurich (UZH)

September 2012 to December 2012: Trainer for “Basic Psychological Skills” UZH

August 2011 to August 2012: Secondary-school teacher for Religion and Culture, Zurich

October 2009 to December 2010: Office assistant and communication officer of the Student’s Committee UZH Zurich

Since August 2009: primary school teacher, Zurich

August 2006 to August 2007: private tutor, Berlin

August 2000 to August 2006: primary school teacher, Glattfelden

Research priorities

Religion, emotion and motivation
Goddess-movement
Religious pedagogy
Death rituals and grief work

Publications

Buchmann, Sonja: “Der Zusammenhang von Religion und impliziten Motiven. Ein Vergleich von Protestanten, Katholiken und Buddhisten” (Masterthesis, 2013)