Schneemelcher Kolleg
for the Study of Ancient Christian Literature and Its Receptions
The SMK is an interdisciplinary research center dedicated to the study of ancient Christian literature and its far-reaching and culturally influential reception in many respects. Inspired by the scholarly impulses of its namesake, Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Wilhelm Schneemelcher, the center promotes a transdisciplinary and innovative examination of early Christian and late antique texts and their material evidence.
The work of the research group focuses on overcoming traditional boundaries between literary and material sources, as well as between canonical and apocryphal texts. This opens up a new approach to the plurality of ancient and late antique Christianity and its traditions. An annual interdisciplinary symposium serves to connect researchers from different disciplines and promotes dialogue between theology, archaeology, Jewish studies, art history, classical philology, and other fields.
Wilhelm Schneemelcher
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Wilhelm Schneemelcher was Professor of New Testament and History of the Early Church at the University of Bonn from 1954 to 1979. As a cross-disciplinary scholar, Schneemelcher laid the foundations for modern, interdisciplinary theology with his visionary work. He was a pioneer in dissolving the distinction between so-called "canonical" and "apocryphal" writings, thereby sharpening the view of early Christianity as a diverse and dynamic phenomenon. His work in Bonn was not limited to the traditional dual focus of research and teaching. Rather, he also proved to be an exemplary promoter of young academics. Several of his students subsequently went on to become professors of church history in Germany themselves.
Schneemelcher's international renown is based on his extensive ecumenical commitment: as early as 1951, Schneemelcher took part in the newly organized "International Conference on Patristic Studies" in Oxford because he recognized early on the importance of international and ecumenical cooperation in researching early Christianity. His ecumenical commitment is also evident in his active involvement in the dialogue between the EKD and the Patriarchate of Constantinople and his participation in the establishment of the Institute for Patristic Studies at the Vlatadon Monastery (Thessaloniki), among other things.
Ancient Christian Literature and Its Receptions
He became particularly well-known for publishing the New Testament Apocrypha in German Translation. Originally founded by Edgar Hennecke, the work was significantly revised by Schneemelcher over the course of four editions and supplemented, among other things, with newly discovered texts from Nag Hammadi.
With Wilhelm Schneemelcher’s retirement, responsibility for the entire work passed to Christoph Markschies, whose Berlin colleague Jens Schröter later joined as a second editor. Under the new title Ancient Christian Apocrypha, two half-volumes (Gospels and Related Texts) have been published since 2012, in which the new editors have sought both to incorporate important additions and to continue the original form-critical approach.
As colleagues from Bonn, we aim—following Schneemelcher’s innovative spirit—to explore new paths. The focus of our work is the culturally formative impact of the ancient Christian apocrypha, which we seek to make accessible to today’s students in an appropriate media format within a transdisciplinary, transmedial, and digitized research context. To this end, we draw on new impulses from cognitive and media studies, linguistics, and the digital humanities, all in close collaboration with excellent colleagues from Germany and abroad, and with the professional support of the publisher Mohr Siebeck.
Team of the Schneemelcher Kollege
“The ancient Christian apocrypha provide us with a fascinating insight into the creativity and plurality of emerging Christianity, while also helping us to understand our own culture, extending even into contemporary popular formats (e.g., computer games). I aim to explore this rich referentiality of the apocrypha through a new methodology that engages in dialogue with cognitive science as well as literary and media studies. At the same time, as Head of the Schneemelcher Collegium, I look forward to intensive exchanges with international colleagues and their innovative approaches to ancient Christian literature.”
Head of the Schneemelcher Collegium
Prof. Dr. Jan Rüggemeier is Junior Professor of New Testament at the Faculty of Protestant Theology at the University of Bonn. His interests encompass the breadth of early Christian literature and the history of emerging Christianity. His research is shaped by approaches and insights from cognitive science, narratology, game studies, and the digital humanities.
“Anyone who wants to understand the expanded ‘Christ universe’ must leave the well-trodden paths of research on canonized texts and plunge into the tumult of the diverse and multimedia reception of Christ narratives. From apocryphal texts, late-antique catacomb paintings, and architecturally framed apostolic traditions to modern horror films, fringe music genres, and contemporary art! As Deputy Head of the Schneemelcher Collegium, I think it’s fantastic to have the opportunity to exchange ideas about this with colleagues from different disciplines.”
Deputy Head of the Schneemelcher Collegium
Lara Mührenberg, Mag. theol., B.A., is a Research Assistant in the Department of New Testament at the Faculty of Protestant Theology at the University of Bonn. Her research focuses on early Christian iconography and sepulchral culture, as well as gender studies, reflecting her background as a scholar of Christian archaeology.
Schneemelcher-Symposium
The annual Schneemelcher Symposium is the central forum of the Collegium and is dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of ancient Christian literature and its reception. It brings together researchers from various disciplines—including New Testament studies, patristics, archaeology, Judaic studies, and art history—to open new perspectives on early Christian and late-antique sources.
Each symposium deliberately integrates contributions from neighboring fields and focuses on topics that illuminate the plurality and internal dialogue of early Christianity and its traditions. In addition to expert lectures by established scholars, the symposium provides a platform for early-career researchers to present their work to a broad audience. The symposia are thus not only academic events but also networking opportunities that foster international exchange. They contribute to the visibility of the Collegium and reinforce its role as a hub for innovative research in ancient Christian literature and its reception in cultural history.
2. Schneemelcher Symposium
The second Schneemelcher Symposium will take place on 12–13 November in Bonn. Further information will be provided shortly.
Schneemelcher-Award
To support talented early-career scholars, the Schneemelcher Collegium annually awards the Schneemelcher-Award, endowed with €1,000. The prize recognizes outstanding (qualification) work in the field of ancient Christian literature and its reception, providing young researchers with a platform to present their work.
The prize is awarded during the annual Schneemelcher Symposium. In addition to financial support, recipients have the opportunity to present their research findings in a public lecture and to network with other experts.
Through this prize, the Collegium seeks to emphasize the importance of nurturing emerging scholars and to inspire a new generation of researchers to engage with apocryphal writings and early Christian traditions.
Award-Winner
“It is truly an extraordinary honor for me that my dissertation is to be awarded the first Wilhelm Schneemelcher-Award. I am filled with great joy and deep gratitude not only because the prize bears the name of such an eminent theologian and scholar, but especially because his work has had a real and profound influence on my own highly specialized research on Coptic apocrypha. In this sense, I also see this prize as a very personal encouragement to continue working and researching with passion and dedication in this fascinating field of Christian apocryphal literature.”
2025 Award Winner
Dr. Florian Graz, in his dissertation “I Found a Little Book which the Apostles Had Written.” Frame Narratives in Coptic Apocrypha, examines Coptic apocryphal texts that feature a distinctive two-part narrative structure. This structure allows the anonymous authors of these texts to authenticate their stories through the voices of various Christian authorities, while simultaneously enabling readers to perceive and experience the biblical world from multiple narrative perspectives.
Call for Applications: Schneemelcher-Award 2026
Find here information and participation requirements, as well as the online form for the 2026 Schneemelcher Prize call.
Advisory Board
The Advisory Board of the Schneemelcher Collegium is composed of experts from various disciplines and career stages. The board supports the work of the Collegium and provides guidance in the awarding of the Schneemelcher Prize.
“We must not focus solely on the earliest sources, nor on texts alone: without an understanding of the power of images and music, the significance of rituals and performance, the perception of spaces, the materiality of transmission, and so on, our thinking about parabiblical texts will overlook crucial aspects. This kind of research is only possible through interdisciplinary dialogue—and learning from one another is one of the most exciting and rewarding aspects of scholarly work.”
Dr. Tobias Nicklas is Professor of Exegesis and Hermeneutics of the New Testament at the University of Regensburg. Since 2018, he has directed the DFG-funded Centre for Advanced Studies “Beyond Canon” (DFG Collegium FOR 2770). His research interests include early Christian gospels, apostolic traditions, all forms of apocryphal writings, parabiblical traditions, and much more.
“The material and visual cultures of early Christianity are more than mere byproducts of written traditions; they are central forms of expression for religious identity and theological concepts. They embody beliefs while simultaneously revealing the interactions between textual traditions, sensory perception, materiality, and cultural practice—not only within the boundaries of the Mediterranean but also beyond.”
Dr. Ute Verstegen is Professor of Christian Archaeology at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg. Among other topics, she researches transcultural processes such as the multi-religious use of spaces, the “Herrenorte” in Jerusalem and their reception, and Christianity along the so-called Silk Road(s).
“When we examine texts and material remnants of early ‘Christianity’ beyond the classical canonical corpus, new perspectives emerge, and long-held ‘fundamental truths’ are called into question. These texts and objects testify to the enormous creativity, experimental spirit, and diversity of a movement that goes far beyond what we would define today as Christianity.”
Dr. András Handl is an SNFS Swiss Postdoctoral Fellow at the Faculty of Theology at the University of Bern. He studies the interconnections between religion and migration, using the city of Rome in late antiquity as a case study.
Kontakt
Jun.-Prof. Dr. Jan Rüggemeier
3 .150
Rabinstraße 8
53111 Bonn
Lara Mührenberg
3 .152
Rabinstraße 8
53111 Bonn