Theology Research News

The online conference ‘Dialogue in the Dungeon’ focused on the Disputatio Raimundi Christiani et Hamar Saraceni by Ramon Llull. It highlighted a key aspect of Ramon Llull’s writing: his view on Islam and on the dialogue and encounter with this religion, all in the broader framework of 13th century Christian-Muslim relations in general.

In a world in which many societies put in jeopardy both the lives of the most vulnerable people and all future generations as well, it seems inevitable that we must acknowledge, agree upon, and adhere to certain limits. Even so, the notion of “green growth”, unattended by arduous change, is often invoked as the preferable path to environmental sustainability. Talk of limitation or sufficiency remains as unpopular as it is necessary.

Although young people are often committed to environmental protection, educational structures may not support their concerns, which are frequently intermingled with socio-economic concerns. During the recent Liberation Theology Workshop: Doing Climate Justice (October 22-24, 2020), Prof. Dr. Claudia Gärtner (TU Dortmund University) gave a brief but rich presentation on the opportunities and challenges that education for sustainable development (ESD) presents in religious educational contexts.

In this interview Dr. Daniel Galadza, a byzantinist and liturgical theologian, discusses trends in Byzantine studies, talks about his recent book Liturgy and Byzantinization in Jerusalem (OUP, 2017), and reflects on the challenges and opportunities of being both an academic theologian and a deacon in the Eastern Catholic Church. He was in Louvain for a conference he and Prof. Dr. Joseph Verheyden convened at KU Leuven on the liturgy and literature of the Lavra of St. Sabas (Image: Communion of the Apostles)

Prof. Dr. Hans Wiersma, specialist in Lutheranism and Reformation history is spending the year at KU Leuven to write a book in which he argues that 1520, as opposed to 1517 (Wittenberg) or 1521 (Edict of Worms), can be considered the pivot point in the Reformation. In this interview Wiersma talks about the idea behind the book, highlights the central role that the Louvain theologians played in the dispute with Luther, and introduces the cinematic cast of characters—from Luther to Erasmus to Pope Leo X—that made 1520 so crucial – Image: Martin Luther and his wife, Katharina von Bora.

While Prof. Dr. Paul van Geest writes his latest book on Augustine and fear, he is spending time as a Visiting Professor of History of Church and Theology at the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, KU Leuven. In this lively interview, he discusses what brought about the idea to write this book, why he chose to do it in Louvain, what got him into theology in the first place, and his role as a public theologian in the Netherlands and beyond – Image: Tapestry detail with Saint Augustine, Saint Stephen, and an angel.

During the academic year 2018-2019 the KU Leuven Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies is celebrating 50 years of Theology Programmes in English. As part of the celebrations, a series of lectures covering the major developments over half a century in the different subdisciplines of theology has been planned. Prof. Dr. Peter Nissen from the Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen was invited to deliver one of these lectures on May 10, 2019. In this lecture, he has presented the different faces and challenges of Church History during the past 50 years as well as the contributions of Louvain to this field.

During the academic year 2018-2019 the KU Leuven Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies is celebrating 50 years of Theology Programmes in English. As part of the celebrations, a series of lectures covering the major developments over half a century in the different subdisciplines of theology has been planned. Prof. Dr. Peter Gemeinhardt from the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen was invited to deliver the last of these lectures on May 10, 2019. In this lecture, he has presented the different faces and challenges of Church History during the past 50 years as well as the contributions of Louvain to this field.

During the academic year 2018-2019 the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies of the KU Leuven is celebrating 50 years of Theology Programmes in English. As part of the celebrations, a series of lectures covering the major developments over half a century in the different subdisciplines of theology has been planned. In her lecture entitled, Evil Mouths, Praising Mouths: Imagery of the Mouth in Ps 109 and the Future of Biblical Studieson March 29, 2019, Prof. Dr. Maricel Ibita presented the different faces and challenges of Biblical Studies during the past 50 years.

In her inaugural speech as Research Professor at KU Leuven, Prof. Dr. Judith Gruber (PhD, Salzburg) engaged with the apparent decline of Christian systematic theology in the face of cultural critiques. Noting that Christianity has been used not only in service of liberation but also for the purpose of oppression, she embarked upon a reimagination of how Christian theology can escape a very particular temptation, particularly when theology is interwoven with political power and influence.

During the academic year 2018-2019 the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies of the KU Leuven is celebrating 50 years of Theology Programmes in English. As part of the celebrations, a series of lectures covering the major developments over half a century in the different subdisciplines of theology has been planned. Prof. Dr. Anthony Godzieba from Villanova University was invited to deliver one of these lectures on March 21, 2019. In his lecture, he has discussed how Louvain theology has, over the past fifty years, taken up the challenge of balancing universality and particularity, unity and diversity, devotion and liberation.

During the academic year 2018-2019 the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies of the KU Leuven is celebrating 50 years of Theology Programmes in English. As part of the celebrations, a series of lectures covering the major developments over half a century in the different subdisciplines of theology has been planned. Prof. Dr. Alain Thomasset from the Centre Sèvres in Paris was invited to deliver the first of these lectures on March 13, 2019. In this lecture, he has presented the different faces and challenges of fundamental moral theology during the past 50 years

“Knowledge Creates Understanding” is the motto of the newly founded ReIReS project, and we couldn’t agree more. The project is a joint venture between twelve European research institutions and aims to build a unique and highly qualified infrastructure on religious studies. Its goal: spreading knowledge on religious pluralism in Europe and contributing to a stable society.

The monograph Liturgy and Secularism: Beyond the Divide by liturgical theologian Prof. Dr. Joris Geldhof provides strong arguments to establish liturgy as a true systematic discipline and to discuss it as a philosophical reality that really matters in our culture and modern times.

Prof. Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator SJ highlights ‘authentically African voices’ of liberation theology. He examines stories of African theologians whose lives and ideas have liberated and empowered others, identifying parallels with the ideals and values of liberation theology.