Overview

This project aims to examine the formal and content-related transformations which the Treatise of Grace, as included in dogmatic handbooks, has undergone in the 19th and 20th century.

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Participants of the project

From the scientific-theoretical and the sociological point of view not knowing appears in different forms: Avoidable not knowing, specific not knowing (preliminary stage of future knowing), irreducible not knowing and unidentified not knowing. This project deals with the legitimate not knowing, since in previous discourses on not knowing only insufficient light has been shed on its right of existence and moral dignity. The objective of this research project will be to deliver a positive theological reasoning in favour of the right to not knowing.

Theology has always reflected on and defended belief as an epistematic attitude which represents an independent view of a certain issue. Against this background, the relationship between belief and reality existing side by side with the knowledge of belief appears to be legitimate and a theological ethics of not knowing should commence at this point. With regard to practised morality the integrating, criticising and motivating power of this belief is profiled by moral theology. This project is subdivided into two parts which interact with each other. First part: Moral theology and theological ethics of not knowing. A conflict story. Second part: Predicative genetic diagnostics and theological ethics of not knowing. A topical requirement.

The Second Vatican Council (1962 – 1965) marked a turning point in the church history of the 20th century. During this period a large number of documents was issued which deal with questions and problems in the fields of theology, the Church and the world. The dogmatic constitution “Lumen Gentium” tries to clarify the nature and task of the Church by drawing on various biblical images (the Church as a temple of the Holy Spirit, as the body of Christ, as God’s people, etc.) in order to describe what the Church is and how it is characterized. In the meantime, more than 40 years have passed and the Council has become history. During this period the texts have been adopted to a more or less great extent. This research project aims to trace the development of the history of adoption and to shed light on the core themes of post-Council ecclesiology. The project further intends to examine different (social, historical and systematic) dimensions of the image of the Church as “God’s family” as it has been used in the texts of the second Vatikanum. The advantages of this image of the Church over other images will be illustrated by the aspects of a “Familia Dei Ecclesiology”.

By way of the classical example of predictive genetic diagnostic of breast cancer used as a method based on genetic diagnosis the problem of not knowing and the right to not knowing is discussed from an ethic-theological point of view. Persons seeking advice are confronted with knowledge which in many cases is not verified and to which they are expected to respond due to their right to patient autonomy. In this context it is assumed that the patient is burdened with too much responsibility. Against this backdrop the right to not knowing will be illustrated as an indispensable addition to informed consent, a postulate which is firmly established in medical ethics.

For some decades it has been considered a taboo to discuss and write about the question whether or not God exists. Affirmative approaches to the Christian religion have been suspected of being inferior in terms of aesthetics. According to G. Benn it was bad style to become religious. In the course of the past 20 years, however, this taboo has disappeared. Numerous writers have started with new impartiality to write about their own individual religious identification, confession or the question of whether or not God exists. This study aims to document and interpret this phenomenon on a large scale and to comment on a “new religiousity” wich has become evident in our society. We aim to examine the theological and religious-pedagogical challenges caused by this phenomenon. Where lie the chances and boundaries of a reception and adaptation?

Research project: The religious discourse of comics Since the mid nineties a new trend has emerged: American and Franco-Belgian comics have started to intensively and explicitly deal with the world’s religions, in particular with Christianity, Islam, Judaism but also with non-theistic beliefs. This novelty may be seen in connection with a similar intensification of this trend in other media, first in historic novels, then in thrillers and last but not least in movies as well as in television. Seen from the point of view of social sciences and theology, such trend appears to be an aspect of the attention given to religion which started in the nineties and which attributed to religion a certain amount of importance and relevance (either in a positive or a negative sense). This project examines this new religious discourse on comics and provides a theologically informed analysis of comics. The results thus obtained are going to be interpreted from the point of view of social sciences and theology within the framework of the current discussion on the secular and post secular characteristics of the late modern “Western” societies. The project is carried out in three partial projects to be dealt with in consecutive order: (1) “Conspiracy and religion”: Firstly, we will study conspiracy stories which since the 90ies have become a popular component of historical novels or thrillers. (2) “The world’s religions in comics”. We will study the manner in which the world’s religions are represented in comics. Thus, the perspective is generalised. (3) “Transcendent powers and forces”: Individual transcendent forces will be considered. Thus, sub genres are created which deal with certain types of figures – above all, the evil personified by the devil and demons, but also angels which have gained great popularity in esotericism. Due to this part of the project genre-theoretical differentiations are possible. Pre publications of partial results: Hausmanninger, Th.: Mythen von Religion. Comicverfilmungen in den USA; in: Bohrmann, Th. et al (published in 2008):Handbuch populärer Film und Religion 2, Paderborn: Schöningh