Chair of Historical Theology – Medieval and Modern Church History

In the field of Historical Theology, we explore the developments, unfolding processes, and dynamics of the multifaceted reality of theology and the Church: as an institution, as a locus and framework for theological reflection, and as a coexistence, interplay, and often conflict between models of how the Church has been understood and lived throughout history up to the present day. Understanding the Church in her historically grown, plural realities, situating her in her historical context, and examining the processes that have shaped her is an essential competence of the historical disciplines.

Our classes teach students the skills and abilities needed to engage with the rich source material of church and theological history from the Middle Ages to the present day. This involves reading and understanding historical sources, contextualizing and conveying important developments, identifying the broader historical narrative and the connections from the early days of the church(es) to the multiconfessional present, and delving deeply into fascinating details of church history.