Research

In its research, the Faculty of Theology faces up to the challenges of the 21st century. These challenges include the current scientific and technological innovation spurts, climate change, the consequences of globalisation and the interreligious conflicts caused by increasing fundamentalism. The Faculty of Theology is convinced that it fulfils an important task in dealing with these challenges as part of an overall university consisting of diverse specialist cultures. Within the university, this means that the Faculty explores and establishes interdisciplinary cooperation with new partners.

In the academic discourse, the Faculty contributes the theological insight into the limits of a purely rational self-interpretation of human beings and the knowledge of the contingency and vulnerability of their existence.

The theological perspective on shaping the future is characterised in particular by the following attitudes:

Empathic interest in individuality. Empathy is defined here as the endeavour to understand other people, cultures and religious and belief systems. This expresses a fundamental appreciation of individuality and thus of plurality. This also represents an important contribution of theology to democracy.

Critical self-reflection. The development dynamics of the 21st century are leading to a number of threats to humanity, for example through climate change, pollution of the oceans, terrorism, epidemics and the dangers of genetic manipulation. Since its beginnings, Christian theology has encouraged people to engage in critical self-reflection by thematising guilt and failure as well as life and world design.

Perspective of hope. The global threats of the 21st century cause many people to fear the future. On the basis of God's devotion to the world, as experienced in Jesus Christ, Christian theology always considers people, the world and God from the perspective of hope. Theology can take on the task of discussing questions about the future beyond apocalyptic fears or naive optimism about progress in the university's research and keep spaces open for the question of hope.

On the basis of this self-image, the Faculty of Theology permanently links important issues with current questions, so that the following profile-forming focuses of the Faculty are formed:

• Bible in the context of antiquity and the Orient
• Reformation and modernity
• Reconciliation from a theological and ethical perspective
• Religious education in the context of social change
• Lutheran theology in church and society
• World religions

The Faculty of Theology is actively involved in the university profile areas "Light, Life, Liberty", with particular emphasis on collaboration in the humanities and social sciences line Liberty de.

The Faculty of Theology deals with biblical and ancient oriental texts, with the historical and contemporary developments of Christianity, especially Protestantism, as well as with the contemporary relevance of theological concepts and contributes its insights to academic debates by publishing research results in renowned journals, organising international conferences and participating in interdisciplinary research projects. As a faculty in the 'Near East' of the Federal Republic of Germany, it promotes exchange and understanding between different denominational, religious and belief systems and thus contributes to reflection on the role of Christianity in a transforming society.

Within Thuringia, the Faculty supports the Protestant Church in Central Germany (EKM), as well as educational institutions, libraries and cultural institutions with its expertise. Outside of Thuringia, the members of the Faculty of Theology are involved in academic associations and societies. They are also involved in numerous church and ecumenical body|committees in the Association of Christian Churches (ACK), the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) and the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany (VELKD). At an international level, the Faculty of Theology is involved in bilateral and multilateral projects in Africa and Asia, in the MENA region and in Latin America. The Faculty maintains a particularly close relationship with the Faculdade Luterana de Teologia in São Bento do Sul/Brazil.