Our research focus areas
Theological women's and gender studies
This research focus has been anchored at the Faculty for 30 years and is an important identity feature for theology in Graz in terms of research, teaching and academic and social visibility. The Faculty thus addresses the interdependent category of "gender" as one of the central categories of perception and identity in today's societies and reflects on it critically in the context of society, the church and theology.
Photo: Girl_Face (Image by Alexandr Ivanov from Pixabay)
Applied ethics in science and society
This research focus concentrates on identifying aspects of contemporary life in society that require scientific ethical reflection. The focus is on the overarching goal of promoting a successful life as well as on addressing new ethical questions that arise in various contexts. This inherently interdisciplinary research area covers a broad spectrum and includes, for example, aspects of medical ethics, bioethics, health care ethics, social and peace ethics, digital ethics, up to relationship ethics and animal ethics.
Religion(s) and theology(ies) in cultural discourses
This research area encompasses the entire faculty and, in addition to many individual projects, is divided into three main areas:
Art, media and digital transformation
This long-established research focus deals with questions of theological aesthetics and image theologies, the dialogue between theology and art, media theory and media analysis in connection with theology and religion, film and theology, religion in film and media as well as digital transformations in these areas. Specific individual projects include "The Iconic Turn in the Christian Denominations", image theologies and the question of "idolatry" in Judaism, Christianity and Islam or religious motifs and theological concepts in (post-apocalyptic) films and computer games. Photo: Messiah ©RCK
Further links:
Sprecher - iconic-turn (uni-graz.at)
Art and media in theological discourse - Institute for Systematic Theology and Liturgical Studies (uni-graz.at)
JRFM(uni-graz.at)
ZeitKunst
Theologies and religions in heterogeneous socio-cultural contexts
This focus includes projects in ancient studies, e.g. the participation of biblical studies in the international and interdisciplinary graduate school "Resonant world relations in socio-religious practices in antiquity and the present", but also contemporary history in the field of tension between church and politics, for example with the project "Edition of the diaries and travel diaries of Federal Chancellor Prelate Dr Ignaz Seipel (1876-1932)" or intercultural and interreligious exchange in the past and present.
Further links:
UNESCO-Chair
Educational concepts in plural religious and social contexts
On the one hand, this research focus includes religious education projects that take the increasingly heterogeneous and pluralistic religious situation of society as their starting point. On the other hand, it includes research that focuses on theological, pastoral and practical education and communication in different social spaces (large cities, municipalities, vulnerable social spaces). Last but not least, projects that concern the relationship between (secular) science, spirituality and theological or religious education or that address current issues of political and social education and communication from a theological perspective are included here.
Further links:
Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Ageing and Care (uni-graz.at)
