Projects
Below you will find an overview of the current research projects in Practical Theology.
Core Issues in Practical Theology and Lived Theology
In this area of research, we address fundamental questions of Practical Theology and explore Lived Theology in its many forms of expression. Our work centres on engaging with spiritual and theological practices and examining their relevance in contemporary social and religious contexts.
Our activities include editorial work on international handbooks as well as contributions to academic journals and edited volumes. Current projects include:
- Oxford Handbook of Practical Theology
- Handbook of Practical Theology and Digitality
- Wiley Blackwell Companion to Lived Theology
Digital Theology and Religion
How does Lived Theology take shape in digital spaces? How is spirituality practised in a digital age?
In our various projects and close collaboration with the University of Zurich's URPP "Digital Religion(s)", we investigate these questions and explore how religion and spirituality are practised in a culture shaped by digital technologies. This includes phenomena such as religious apps, spiritual influencers, and new expressions of eco-spirituality.
The following projects are being carried out within this research focus:
- Faith in the App Store: Apps, Influencing, and the Metamorphosis of Spirituality
- Digital Youth Faith Formation
- The Use of Religious Apps as Spiritual Practice
- Religious Apps as Pastoral Assistance
- Postdigital Eco-Spirituality
- Church and AI
- Religious Influencing
- Handbook of Practical Theology and Digitality
- Homiletics and AI
Ecclesial Transformation and the Future of Pastoral Theology
How do churches and congregations respond to the challenges of our time? What role does ordained ministry play in this context?
This research area focuses on current questions in church development and pastoral theology. Among other things, we examine how motivation and theology influence (non-)volunteer engagement, as well as how congregational life can be shaped in the absence of ordained ministers.
Projects within this focus include:
- Motivational Factors and the Theology of (Non-)Volunteering
- Congregations without Ordained Ministers
- Learning from Abrahamic Leaders
- Member of the Leadership Team, Centre for Church Development (ZKE)
Postcolonial, Decolonial and Feminist Theology
Which voices are most often overlooked in theology? What might theology look like when a diversity of voices is heard?
In this research area, we engage with postcolonial, feminist, and decolonial perspectives. Our work focuses on questions of power and on developing a new understanding of theology – one that views theological practice as an emancipatory engagement and a contribution to shaping a future built on solidarity.
Transformative Homiletic
Is the sermon still a relevant format today? What might an innovative sermon look like?
In this area of research, we explore the future of preaching and worship, with a focus on participatory and power-sensitive approaches in homiletics. The aim of a Transformative Homiletics is realised through various sub-projects.
Current projects include:
Empirical Theology and Citizen Science
Our research contributes to the methodological advancement of Empirical Theology. A particular focus lies in the development of participatory research methods in line with the Participatory Citizen Science paradigm.
Exegesis for Religious Education
Exegesis for Religious Education is an open-access digital project that provides scholarly and accessible commentaries on key biblical texts for religious education in schools and church contexts. Responding to the growing demand for freely available online resources, the project offers concise interpretations of around 70 biblically and pedagogically significant texts, selected in line with educational curricula.
Each commentary combines a religious-educational perspective with a focused scholarly exegetical interpretation. The project connects the lived experiences and questions of children and young people with the theological and textual structures of the Bible. All contributions are designed for digital use, freely accessible online, and linked to further resources and teaching materials.
