Institute

General Information

Religions were and are important for culture and society. These interactions exist, for example, with politics, medicine, economics and art. The Study of Religions researches all these interrelationships from an external perspective.

We are interested in how people interpret the world in religious terms and what this means for their actions. These questions are explored in several ways.

History of Religions

History of Religions is concerned with the development and change of religious traditions over time and their dissemination in space. However, it also examines the conditions and consequences of the development of a religious field as an independent sub-area of culture and society. Particular attention is paid to the interrelations between religion and other social domains such as politics, economics and law. Processes of intercultural encounter, appropriation and reinterpretation are just as central here as those of interdependence.

Research in History of Religions is not an end in itself and does not simply refer to the past. It should provide answers to questions of the present, because the present is nothing other than what has become history. And religion is an important shaping factor in every society. Without knowledge of the history of religions, today's societies cannot be understood in their local and global contexts.

Contemporary Research

Contemporary research in the Study of Religions examines the role and function of contemporary religions in their local and global contexts. In particular, the empirical social science Study of Religions is interested in religion in social contexts, in everyday life or in the way religion is organized (e.g. in churches, social movements or networks). A characteristic of research into religious phenomena in the present - in comparison to  History of Religions - is the diversity of qualitative and quantitative methods and the reflection on the extent to which the researchers themselves (unintentionally) influence the religious field through their research.

Contemporary research in the Study of Religions must therefore not only proceed in an ethically responsible manner, but must also be sensitive to the influences of historical processes and global dynamics on current developments.

Research questions can be as diverse as the religious phenomena themselves: How, for example, do Christian churches deal with competing interpretations of the world, such as scientific ones? What role does religion play in a globally networked world in which many religions compete with each other or are  only seen as one sense-giving offering among many? What role do new media play in religious practice? What influence does migration have on religious diversity in the world? What role does religion play in social conflicts?

Systematic Study of Religions

The Systematic Study of Religions deals with theoretical problems that affect History of Religions and Contemporary Research in equal measure. For example, it develops scientific definitions of central concepts such as religion, ritual or secularization and develops comprehensive theories of religion. This subject area also includes an examination of the scientific methods used to research religions. These include, for example, qualitative social research, ethnographic field research, the historical-critical method or historical discourse analysis.

Related Disciplines

The Study of Religions has always worked closely with related disciplines such as Sinology, Japanese Studies, Oriental Studies, Indology, Ethnology and Sociology. At our faculty, you will find an environment where this exchange is consciously cultivated. The program is structured in such a way that you have a lot of freedom in your choice of courses so that you can get to know the diversity of the world of religions.