The research activities of the Faculty of Catholic Theology are bound by the principles of its Mission Statement:

• Taking up social responsibility
• Ecumenism, interfaith and intercultural dialogue

In addition, they are oriented on current demands and challenges of the Faculty's environment:

• Two Theological Faculties at the University of Vienna with a variety of different subjects
• The Catholic Church
• Vienna as a location for multi-cultural and multi-religious society and as a crossing point between Western, Eastern and Southeastern Europe
• The International Scientific Community in Theology, Study of Religions and its related fields i.e. Philosophy, Social Ethics

The Faculty of Catholic Theology is characterised by a wide area of expertise in terms of content and methodology, which is constituted by the specific resarch departments. Particularly outstanding are the research areas of Theology of Spirituality, Patrology, and Studies of the Eastern Church. 

In addition to subject-specific research, the Faculty also participates in several research platforms, focusses its research on main topics as well as current theological discussions, and furthermore the Faculty endeavors to increase its projects financed by third-party funding.

The Faculty is committed to the quality management of the University of Vienna:

• Vienna Index of Journals in Theology (July 2022)
• Louvain Index of Theology and Religious Studies for Journals and Series
• ERIH-Index of Theology and Religious Studies (26.09.2011)
  
• Position paper for quality management of research and teaching in Humanities and Social sciences, Philosophy and Theology/GRIMM-Paper (22.01.2009)

The strategic objectives and the orientation of the Faculty are also set out in the University's development plan 2028 (document in German).