The DFG network TTIR (TierTheologie InterReligiös, Animal Theology InterReligious) is dedicated to the question of how the monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam can contribute to changing the relationship between humans and animals. In light of ecological crises, species extinction and growing sensitivity to the way humans treat animals, we are seeking answers to the question of what role religions can play in transforming the relationship between humans and animals.
The network builds on the increasing engagement with this question in Jewish, Christian and Islamic theologies and aims to deepen the discussion from an interreligious perspective and with a focus on the relationship between God, humans and animals. Our approach is therefore interreligious and interdisciplinary: we want to analyse the theological traditions of God-human-animal relationships in their differences and similarities and develop a common, interreligiously viable animal theological perspective.
Our goal is to contribute to the profiling of animal ethical and animal theological positions within the various theologies and to show that theologies can also make an important contribution to the non-theological discourse of animal ethics and human-animal studies. In addition, we also want to strengthen interreligious scientific exchange and interreligious language skills through our approach.
At the end of the project, the results of the network will be recorded in a publication in the form of an interreligious handbook on animal theology and made available to academic and public discourse.
Members
- Yael Attia, MA, Research Assistant, Centre for Comparative Theology and Cultural Studies, University of Paderborn
- Jun.-Prof. Dr. Asmaa El Maaroufi, Chair of Islamic Philosophy and Ethics, Centre for Islamic Theology, University of Münster
- Prof. Dr Julia Enxing, Chair of Fundamental Theology, Faculty of Catholic Theology, Ruhr University Bochum
- Prof. Dr Anne Käfer, Chair of Systematic Theology, Faculty of Protestant Theology, University of Münster
- Prof. Dr Andreas Krebs, Chair of Old Catholic and Ecumenical Theology, Old Catholic Seminary, University of Bonn
- Dr Cornelia Mügge, Research Assistant, Institute for Ethics and Related Social Sciences, Faculty of Protestant Theology, University of Münster
- Philipp Räubig, M.A., Research Assistant at the Chair of Fundamental Theology, Faculty of Catholic Theology, Ruhr University Bochum
- Prof. em. Dr. Thomas Ruster, Chair of Catholic Theology with a focus on Systematic Theology/Dogmatics, Institute for Catholic Theology, University of Dortmund
- Dr. Saida Mirsadri, Research Assistant, Chair of Islamic Systematic Theology, Institute for Islamic Theology, University of Paderborn
- Yasemin Amber, M.A., Research Assistant at the Chair of Islamic Philosophy and Ethics, Centre for Islamic Theology, University of Münster
- Prof. Dr Jonathan Schorsch, Chair of Jewish Religious and Intellectual History, School of Jewish Theology, University of Potsdam
- PD Dr Gregor Taxacher, Research Assistant, Systematic Theology/Dogmatics, Institute for Catholic Theology, Technical University of Dortmund
Current News from the project
Opening event: On 29 October 2025, the DFG network ‘Connected in God: Transformations of the Human-Animal Relationship from an Interreligious Perspective’ invites you to a public opening event to mark the start of its work. The event will begin at 6:15 p.m. at the Alexander von Humboldt House (Hüfferstr. 61, 48149 Münster).
The network will introduce itself at the kick-off event and is pleased to welcome Prof. Milad Karimi as a guest speaker for a keynote address on ‘The Relationality of God from an Islamic-Theological Perspective’. The lecture and a panel discussion with members of the network will be followed by a reception.
Registration is requested.
You can find all the important information here in the flyer...
Workshop Meeting: From 28–30 October 2025, the first working meeting of the DFG Network “United in God. Transformations of the Human–Animal Relationship in Interreligious Perspective” will take place at Haus Mariengrund in Münster. Under the theme “(Inter-)Relationality as a Fundamental Category in the Relationship between God, Humans, and Animals”, the meeting explores theological and interdisciplinary perspectives on relationality in creation.
Further details can be found in the flyer...