| Katholisch-Theologische Fakultät, SPF Religion. Gesellschaft. Weltbeziehung., Forschung, Veranstaltungen

Pastoral, theology and church in times of pandemic. A European comparison

The corona pandemic is not only a medical and economic, educational and social issue, but also a topic of theology. This is true in principle: such a pandemic with immeasurable suffering and a multitude of dead inevitably raises the question of God.

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Theology, which is centrally concerned with the question of God, cannot escape this. At the same time, it must reflect on how the church(ies) and its institutions react in such a pandemic, provide pastoral care in the truest sense of the word, and modify its services and forms of communication accordingly. An international project, which the professorships for dogmatics (Prof. Dr. Julia Knop) and for liturgical studies (Prof. Dr. Benedikt Kranemann) of the Catholic Theological Faculty of the University of Erfurt are conducting digitally in several workshops, beginning on 11 December, is turning to the transformation processes involved: "Pastoral, Theology and the Church in Times of the Pandemic. A European comparison."

A second round will take place next year. There is no shortage of questions, especially since various local churches in Europe are involved in the project, with an eye to and with discourse partners: How is the Catholic Church in Europe reacting to the pandemic? What is the situation in individual countries? How is the pandemic being dealt with in pastoral care, liturgy and theology? How are church leaders reacting? What country- and culture-specific peculiarities in dealing with the pandemic can be observed? The researcher from the University of Erfurt has invited colleagues from Belgium, Great Britain, Croatia, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Switzerland, Slovenia and the Czech Republic. They will give short lectures and discussion panels. The organisers hope for a picture that is as differentiated as possible and reflects church and cultural and social characteristics. In addition to presenting and bringing together these different European perspectives and reflecting on the corresponding transformation processes of church and society, further fields of research are to be developed. The conference is to culminate in a joint publication, which will be prepared for the coming year.

Further information / contact:
Prof. Dr. Benedikt Kranemann
e-mail: benedikt.kranemann@uni-erfurt.de

Prof. Dr. Julia Knop
e-mail: julia.knop@uni-erfurt.de

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