Media-ID: 5177

Caption

Faith without dogma—young perspectives on spirituality

Description

What connects both the photographer David and his protagonist Susi is that they both grew up in very conservative Christian households. For a time, both distanced themselves, yet faith never left them completely. They search for ways it can remain part of their lives, but free of dogma, open, and in line with liberal values. Susi, daughter of a pastor and now bishop of the Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church, grew up between India and Germany. After years in Chennai, she moved to Berlin, ironically into a flat belonging to a church. At the Refo-Church she found a place where doubting is just as important as believing. What once felt like pressure has turned into healing and experimenting. Today she sings soprano in the Refo-Klang choir, creates art in the church, and coordinates cultural events, shaping a new way of faith that unites freedom and expression.

This photo was taken as part of the project “Beyond The Frame: Young Perspectives on Diversity in Faith” by Neue Deutsche Medienmacherinnen. The project promoted a diverse and discrimination-sensitive portrayal of religions in the media. Between June and October 2025, young (photo)journalists took part in workshops on discrimination-sensitive photojournalism and, in an accompanied practical phase, portrayed young religious people from Berlin in their everyday lives. The project created new images beyond stereotypical representations of religions, empowered young BIPoC media professionals, promoted interreligious dialogue, and made the diversity of faith in urban areas visible.

Copyright

Image credit: David-Simon Groß | Website

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Original file

09_Susi_Samraj_community_Full_Quality_sRGB.jpg

Filesize

12.18 MB

Size at 300 dpi

29.51 x 36.89 cm

Copyright

© David-Simon Groß

Date of creation

20250923

City

Berlin

Country

Deutschland