Research focus "Interreligiosity in the secular context"

Institute for Practical Theology at the University of Vienna

Initiators
The Institute for Practical Theology is part of the Faculty of Catholic Theology at the University of Vienna. The research focus "Interreligiosity in a Secular Context" is under the direction of Assoz.-Prof. MMag. Dr., MAS Regina Polak

Occasion
Social peace in a secular society is based on the quality of coexistence between people of different religions and worldviews. Dialogue, encounter and interreligious learning can have a peace-building effect and are considered a dimension of faith.

Target groups

  • Students
  • Teachers
  • Scientists
  • Christian communities and churches
  • Multipliers in society, politics and religious communities

Objectives

  • Exploration of the possibilities and limits of interreligious living and learning together in a secular context from a practical-theological perspective.
  • Exploration of the theological foundations and contributions to interreligious living and learning together in a secular context.
  • Basic research in sociology of religion and hermeneutics on the framework of interreligious living and learning together.
  • Development of theoretical and practical models for the coexistence and learning of religiously and ideologically diverse people.
  • Promotion of dialogue and encounter between Jews, Christians and Muslims in teaching and concrete dialogue formats.

Topics and areas of research

  • Interreligious coexistence
  • Interreligious learning
  • Christian-Jewish and Christian-Islamic dialogue
  • Anti-Semitism and Anti-Judaism

Duration
ongoing

Activities

  • Third Mission
    • TRIALOG - Abrahamitic discussions
    • Podcast "What does the Bible have to do with media?"
  • Consulting
    • Focus on combating racism, xenophobia and discrimination.
  • Courses
    • Project Judaism - Christianity - Islam: Inter- and Transdisciplinary Perspectives on the Interreligious Dialogue of the Three Abrahamic Religions, WiSe 2020
    • SE Scriptural Reasoning: A Method of Interreligious Interpretation of Scripture, WiSe 2020
    • Understanding Judaism Today, SoSe 2019
  • Lectures

Form of organization
Team: Assoz.-Prof. MMag. Dr. Regina Polak, MAS (head) and Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Andrea Lehner-Hartmann

Funding
According to the current university financing regulation

Products
Dissertations
Habilitations

Publications:

  • Regina Polak: Glaube auf Bewährung. Religionssoziologische Reflexionen zur Krise von Glaube und Kirche, in: Ursula Schumacher et. al. (eds.): Abbrüche - Umbrüche - Aufbrüche: Gesellschaftlicher Wandel als Herausforderung für Glaube und Kirche, Münster 2019, 33-55 (Studia Oecumenica Friburgensia, vol. 93).
  • Regina Polak: Anti-Semitism in Pastoral Care. A Catholic Perspective, in: Theoweb. Zeitschrift fuer Religionspaedagogik 18(2019), H.1, 18-34.
  • Regina Polak/Lena Seewann: Religion as Distinction. Secularization and Pluralization as Driving Dynamics in Austria, in Christian Friesl et. al. (eds.): Quo vadis, Austria? Wertewandel zwischen 1990 und 2018, Vienna 2019, 89 - 134.
  • Regina Polak: Auf Spurensuche: Religion im Kontext von Wertebildung, in: Roland Verwiebe (ed.): Werte und Wertebildung aus interdisziplinärer Perspektive, Wiesbaden 2019, 137-165.
  • Regina Polak: Attention: Concrete! Christian-Jewish Dialogue from a Pastoral Theological Perspective. Ein (katholischer) Problemaufriss, in: Markus Himmelbauer/Martin Jäggle/Roman A. Siebenrock/Wolfgang Treitler (eds.): Erneuerung der Kirchen. Perspectives from the Christian-Jewish Dialogue. Series: Quaestiones Disputatae 290, Freiburg i. Br. 2018, 292-320.
  • Regina Polak: Interreligious Dialogue in the Context of a Migration Society, in: Annegret Reese-Schnitker/Daniel Bertram/Marcel Franzmann (eds.): Migration, Flight and Displacement. Theological Analysis and Religious Education Practice. Series: Religionspädagogik innovativ 23, Stuttgart 2018, 15-38.

Website | Social Media | Contact
https://pt-ktf.univie.ac.at/ 

Faculty of Catholic Theology
Schenkenstraße 8-10/ 1OG 010b
A-1010 Vienna

E-mail: praktische.theologie-kath@univie.ac.at

 

Editors: jv / ts 2022