Centre for Intercultural Theology and Study of Religions

University of Salzburg

Initiators
Prof. Dr Ulrich Winkler († 2021) played a major part in developing the concept. Since March 2009, the Centre is headed by Prof. DDr Franz Gmainer-Pranzl.

Occasion
Following the establishment of „Intercultural Theology and Study of Religions” as new focus of the Faculty of Catholic Theology, the Institute for Intercultural Theology and Study of Religions was founded in 2001, the Centre in 2006, as a reaction to a changing socio- and religio-political situation. Since the winter semester of 2016/17, a master´s program “Religious Studies” supplements the range of courses offered by the Centre (Prof. Dr Martin Rötting).

Target Groups
Students and researchers of programs offered by Catholic Theology, Religious Studies and other fields of study.

A range of courses taught by visiting professors, Christian as well as non-Christian, are offered once every academic year and amount to 6 semester hours in credits.

Objectives
Through teaching and research, the Centre contributes to a problem-oriented, interculturally, interreligiously and religio-politically informed perspective on current social and church situations. Students will be qualified to competently address cultural diversity and the plurality of religious traditions, challenges in relation to the other as well as global interrelations. Fields of research include:

  • the diaologue with Islam,
  • the development of a theology of Israel,
  • current approaches to a theology of religion,
  • the methodology of comparative theology,
  • contemporary research on spirituality.

Topics and areas of research

  • Contemporary cultures of religions in Austria in contexts of migration and modernism
  • Interreligious learning processes and transformations of society
  • Theories of the post-secular
  • Religious education in secular societies
  • Theology, churches and society in Africa
  • Dialogue with Islam
  • Development of a theology of Israel
  • Dialogue with Asian religions
  • Current approaches in the theology of religions
  • Research on spirituality

Duration
The Centre for Intercultural Theology and Study of Religions was established in 2006 and is subject to an ongoing evaluation, as are all centres of the University of Salzburg.

Activities

  • Educational programs on interculturality, interreligious dialogue, contextual theology, theology of religions and interdisciplinary subjects.
  • Annual “Reception of the Religions” inviting representatives of different religious communities in Salzburg.
  • Conferences promoting interreligious dialogue in cooperation with the Education Centre St. Virgil, Salzburg and the Committee on World Religions of the Austrian Bishops´ Conference.
  • Annual conference “Salzburger interdisziplinäre Diskurse” (Interdisciplinary Courses in Salzburg), organized by a different department of the University of Salzburg each year.
  • Biennial award ceremony for the Erwin-Kräutler-Award for Contextual Theology, Interreligious Dialogue and Research on Liberation Theology.
  • In addition, the Centre (Prof. Dr Martin Rötting) organizes a post-grad university course “Spirituelle Theologie im interreligiösen Prozess“ (Spiritual Theology in the Interreligious Process) in cooperation with St. Virgil and the University College of Teacher Education (Kirchliche Pädagogische Hochschule) in Salzburg.
  • Current events and further information: https://www.plus.ac.at/ztkr/news-events-social-media/)

Form of Organization
The Centre for Intercultural Theology and Study of Religions is located in the Department for Systematic Theology at the Faculty of Catholic Theology at the University of Salzburg und represents the focus set by the faculty in the year 2000.

Funding
Funds from the University of Salzburg´s budget as well as external funds.

Products

  • Book series „Salzburger Theologische Studien interkulturell“
  • Book series „Religious Studies in Interfaith Contexts“
  • Book series „Salzburger interdisziplinäre Diskurse“
  • Conference transcripts of the „Tagungen zur Förderung des interreligiösen Dialogs“ (conference on promotion of interreligious dialogue)
  • Online-journal „Crosscultural Studies of Religion and Theology“ (CSRT)
  • Monographs, edited volumes and other

Website | Social Media | Contact
https://www.plus.ac.at/ztkr/

Universität Salzburg
Kapitelgasse 4-6
A-5020 Salzburg

T: +43 662 8044-0
F: +43 662 8044-145

 

editor: gm / update: ts 2022