US ethnographer and translator speaks in Münster about religious subcultures in Morocco – research on the connection between body and imagination – evening lecture “Face to Face with the Spirits: Embodying the Imagination” on 13 May at the Cluster of Excellence
Organized by the Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics” at the University of Münster, new lecture and reading series on aesthetic conceptions of the body from the Middle Ages to the present day – With readings from works by the imprisoned Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, who gave the Droste reading at the Cluster of Excellence in 2024 – Starting with US art historian Taylor McCall on 6 May
On the death of Pope Francis, researchers in theology, religious studies and sociology of religion from the Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics” have assessed his pontificate and the media interest it generated.
Public discussions about promoting diversity are often oversimplified according to researchers – Sociologist Ines Michalowski: “The effects of diversity measures vary greatly and depend on many factors, including in the area of religion” – New degree programme “Diversity and Social Inequality” at the University of Münster prepares students for diversity issues in organizations – Registration from 1 May
The German Research Foundation (DFG) has awarded the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize 2025 to Catholic theologian Michael Seewald from the University of Münster for his excellent research. In the video, he talks about his research in the field of systematic theology, particularly the history and hermeneutics of dogma, which shapes current theological debates on reform, change of faith and tradition.
Demons – according to researchers, these elusive beings, neither human nor divine, can be found in history, art and literature from antiquity to the present.In the interview “Of demons and devil's grimaces”, art historian Eva Krems, literary scholar Martina Wagner-Egelhaaf and historian Nikolas Funke talk about the approaches they take to the topic of “demons” in their respective research disciplines and where there are interdisciplinary similarities and differences. read more
New book by researchers at the Cluster of Excellence ‘Religion and Politics’ sheds light on the future of religious education in Germany – criticism of the model of non-denominational religious education: ‘Can hardly correspond to the religious plurality that people live’ – Basic Law flexible enough to deal with challenges such as secularisation and pluralisation
Two-part international conference in Rome and Münster on the first ecumenical council – Pontifical Gregorian University and the University of Münster in cooperation – Pope invites researchers to meet and discuss ideas – Professor of Dogmatics Michael Seewald: Bringing together new interdisciplinary research on the history and theology of the Council – What does Nicaea mean for the relationship of Christianity with Judaism and Islam? – ‘What today’s church members actually believe is a different matter’
Church historian Hubert Wolf and his team have presented their initial findings of the researchproject ‘Asking the Pope for Help’ in Rome, among other things, at the German ambassador to the Holy See. During the Shoah, around 10,000 Jews wrote letters to the Catholic Church asking for information about their relatives, for money or help in escaping. The Cluster of Excellence ‘Religion and Politics’ is involved in the large-scale project, where it is carrying out research on Romania and Brazil. read more
US anthropologist Naveeda Khan from Johns Hopkins University spoke at the Cluster of Excellence about the complex interrelationship between religious traditions, climate change and the experience of hunger. In her lecture, Khan shed light on this relationship by examining how the Muslim population along the South Asian river Jamuna in Bangladesh deals with climate crises such as hunger. The researcher, herself a native of Bangladesh, emphasized not only the political dimensions of famine but also the metaphysical and spiritual meaning of the everyday handling of food.
