Systematic theology

The professorship is dedicated to ecumenical theology, primarily the dialog between Catholic and Lutheran Christianity. The key issues (ministry/episcopate, Lord's Supper and church) are examined both in the historical setting of the Reformation era and the subsequent confessionalization as well as in the current dialogue situation. This takes place, for example, in an international working group on the pre-confessional interpretation of the Confessio Augustana and in the 6th International Lutheran/Roman Catholic Commission on Unity.

Another central area of interest of the professorship is the concept of sacramentality in all its breadth, which ranges from the theology of revelation, Christology and ecclesiology to its most obvious realization in the doctrine of the sacraments and also has a strong influence on ecumenical dialogues - also with the Orthodox churches. In addition to the theology of the sacrament of Holy Orders, the main focus is on different understandings of the Eucharist.

Geographically, the professorship is primarily oriented towards the West in the direction of 20th century French theology, whose importance for the current shape of the Catholic Church and the content and form of its magisterium can hardly be overestimated. In addition to the old master of "Nouvelle Théologie" Henri de Lubac, the focus is primarily on the convert and oratorian Louis Bouyer.

The professorship also deals with the brilliance, but also the aporias and the necessary complementarity of two paradigms of "continental" philosophy of religion, namely recent French phenomenology (especially Michel Henry and Emanuel Levinas) and transcendental theology (especially Karl Rahner and Thomas Pröpper).

In addition, the professorship is dedicated to the systematic analysis of the normativity of socio-political orders and their current discourses, with a focus on statutory pension insurance. The aim is to reconstruct the different dimensions, concepts and meanings of justice as well as the basic normative concepts and assumptions and to critically reflect on them from a socio-ethical perspective in order to provide a normative frame of reference for current political discourses.

Furthermore, the professorship deals with the interface between sustainability and digitalization and analyses their ecological, social and economic effects from a socio-ethical perspective, especially in the context of socio-ecological transformation. The socio-ethical postulate of sustainability serves as a fundamental normative hermeneutic to make ambivalences, conflicting goals and trade-offs transparent.