Objectives
In view of society's pluralistic worldviews in the 21st century, the question arises how religion can contribute to identifying problems, crises, and challenges of the present day, as well as finding answers and solutions. The Faculty of Catholic Theology is pursuing such a task in cooperation with the Faculty of ProtestantTheology, the Department of Islamic-Theological Studies, as well as other departments and faculties.
In its research and teaching, the Faculty of Catholic Theology examines religious traditions and phenomena with regard to approaches to meaning and perspectives for action, especially those of Christianity, against a background of critical dialogue. On this basis, it develops perspectives for a democratic, humane social sys tem oriented towards social justice. It examines the religious and cultural heritage from the point of view of theology, philosophy, empirical ap proaches, as well as religious studies to provide the background for understanding key occidental concepts and ideas, whose origin cannot be fully grasped without the Judaeo-Christian tradition and other religious narratives and practices.
Together with the historical and philosophical disciplines, the humanities, cultural studies and the social sciences, it contributes to the hermeneutic examination of religious motifs and their transformation. It applies interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary methodologies oriented towards interreligious and intercultural approach es, committed to the heritage of Enlightenment, secularity, and the rule of law.
Thematic Areas and Key Research Ares
The Faculty of Catholic Theology particularly focuses on three thematic areas:
- 1.) Interdisciplinary research on religion
- 2.) Catholic theology and Catholicity in contemporary discourses
- 3.) Ethical challenges and education in global society
With regard to (1.) interdisciplinary religious studies, the Faculty can build on its constitutive interdisciplinary basic structure and is committed to bundling the expertise of the various academic disciplines involved in religious studies at the University of Vienna, thus making religious studies particularly visible internationally and clearly highlighting its social relevance.
The faculty contributes (2.) its hermeneutics and methods in order to make the foundations of globally effective catholicity clear in the diversity of its disciplines. To this end, she first sets herself the task of how man, the world and history are to be conceived within the horizon of the question of God. It also critically reflects on the influence of catholicity on global society and politics and examines its biblical, historical, theological, philosophical and legal foundations as well as their aesthetic, institutional and practical concretizations. This research focus is reflected both in the research of the individual departments and in the wide range of courses offered by the faculty.
(3) The Faculty examines a wide variety of ethical issues (climate crisis, modern technologies, migration and poverty, gender equality, political ethics, medical ethics, etc.). Based on a Christian anthropology, its expertise in the areas of philosophy, religious studies, social ethics and theological ethics provides considerable input to academic reflection on these topics.
The thematic areas of the Faculty of Catholic Theology are reflected in the structure of ist disciplines, with the location in Vienna – situated between Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, as well as between Catholic and Eastern Church traditions – playing a special role in this context. They encompass biblical, historical, systematic and practical theology; ethics; as well as intercultural philosophy of religion, religious studies and law of religion.
The joint key research area, which takes account of the main focuses of the Faculty, is called „Religion and Transformation in Contemporary Society“.