Presseamt der
Eberhard-Karls-Universität
in Tübingen

Faculty of Protestant Theology

Address:

Evangelisch-Theologische Fakultaet
Liebermeisterstr. 12
D-72076 Tuebingen
Tel.: 49-7071-29-72538
Fax : 49-7071-29-2878
WWW : Evangelisch-Theologische Fakultaet

History

The Theological Faculty is as old as the University of Tuebingen. Both were founded in 1477. The original Theological Faculty was a place of higher learning in the Medieval Scholastic tradition.

The Theological Faculty became Protestant in 1535, when the reigning monarch brought the Reformation into the University. Theological studies began to be determined by the mainstream Lutheranism of the Reformation.

This mainstream Lutheran theological influence was maintained during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Little emphasis was given to Pietism or to the European Enlightenment.

The influence of critical historical theological research entered the Faculty in the nineteenth century. Ferdinand Christian Baur joined the Faculty in 1826, and this marked the beginning of the formation of the ãearly Tuebingen School.Ò

Two outstanding scholars responded to the theological challenges of the first half of the twentieth century. Adolf Schlatter joined the Faculty in 1898. Schlatter attempted to balance liberal approaches to the New Testament with a unified view of the historical Jesus and the Christ of faith. Karl Heim joined the Faculty in 1920. Heim was one of the few theologians of his time who entered into dialogue with the modern natural sciences.

The Protestant Theological Faculty is closely related to the Evangelische Stift. The Stift was established in 1536. It is an institute of the Lutheran Church in Wuerttemberg, the part of Germany in which Tuebingen is located. The Stift is devoted to the development of young theologians from Baden-Wuerttemburg, the German state in which Tuebingen is located. Prominent among the Stift½s students have been Friedrich Hoelderlin, Friedrich Wilhelm Schelling and Georg Friedrich Wilhelm Hegel.

Teaching Staff

The academic staff of the Faculty consists of nineteen professors Three professors are co-opted into the Faculties of Medicine, Philosophy, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. One additional professor is co-opted from the Faculty of Law. Twenty-seven research assistants, four instructors and a group of lecturers are also active in specific subject areas.

Students

In the first years after the Second World War, Tuebingen had the largest number of Protestant theological students in Germany. A peak of approximately 2,200 students was reached early in the nineteen eighties. A large majority of Tuebingen½s theological students have been preparing for Christian ministry.

Current student enrollment is 1261. Most of these students (70%) are preparing for ministry in the Church, or for teaching Religious Education in public and parochial high schools (21%). The remainder are preparing for advanced studies aimed at an academic degree.

Curricula

Academic theology in German universities devotes itself to the investigation of four aspects of the Church: Theological education and professional training lead to one or more of three goals:

Examinations and Degrees

Examinations are related to the three goals of theological education and professional training listed above (see Courses of Study).

The standard examinations are the First Theological Examination and the First Teacher Certification Examination.

The First Theological Examination is administered in two forms: either by the examining board of the Wuerttemburg Protestant Church, or by the Theological Faculty. Both forms of the Examination are led by professors from the Theological Faculty.

The First Teacher Certification Examination is administered by the German government, and lead by professors from the Theological Faculty.

Advanced studies lead to the following degrees:
Master , Doctor, Habilitation in Theology

Current Areas of Teaching

The teaching of Protestant Theology at Tuebingen is structured according to the classical German tradition:

Some areas within this classical structure are emphasized. For example, in Church History the area of Church Order is emphasized. In Practical Theology the relationship of Religious Education to general education is emphasized.

This classical structure is also enlarged and enriched by a number of Institutes. Each Institute is designed for the study of a specific area. Some Institutes work in close cooperation with non-theological disciplines.

The Research Environment

The research environment in the Faculty is a unique blend of continuity and actuality. Long-term research projects are complemented by projects focused on areas of current interest.

The recent dramatic changes within Europe are influencing religion, particularly the churches½ understanding of their role in society. Research is developing on the role of the churches in the former state-socialist society, on Protestantism in the modern religious pluralism, and on the contribution of the Church to European integration.

In Service Training and Continuing Education

The entire staff of the Theological Faculty is involved in the continuing education of ministers, teachers and other professional persons, both within the Church and in the larger society. Theological research and teaching are combined with practical training. The advancement of research is an integral part of continuing professional development.

An Emphasis on Scholarly Cooperation and Exchange of Ideas

The Protestant and Catholic Theological Faculties of The University are located in the same building and use the same teaching and research facilities. This symbolizes decades of fruitful cooperation and exchange of ideas between the two Faculties.

Library holdings of both Faculties are combined. The library is located in the same building as the teaching and research facilities (see photo). The library contains more than 210,000 volumes, with 110,000 volumes belonging to the Protestant Faculty and 100,000 to the Catholic Faculty.

Important collections of maps, slides and archaeological artifacts are also located in the library. More than 1,400 maps of Palestine and the Near East, as well as 25,000 slides related to biblical and archaeological research, are available for researchers, professors and students.

Research opportunities for international scholars and educational opportunities for international students are important parts of the cooperative atmosphere in the Protestant Theological Faculty. Cooperation with international scholars, researchers and theologians is maintained through international societies, academic institutions and seminaries. Several internationally-recognized periodicals are edited by members of the Faculty.

The Protestant Theological Faculty also maintains strong relationships to the World Council of Churches and to international ecumenical and missionary movements.

Home Presse MAIL (michael.seifert@uni-tuebingen.de)

Presseamts-Info@www.uni-tuebingen.de(dezelski@uni-tuebingen.de) - Copyright