Religious Studies Institute at the University of Leipzig

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The Institute for Religious Studies at Leipzig University was institutionalized in 1912. This means that Leipzig has the first and therefore the oldest professorship in religious studies in Germany, initially held by Nathan Söderblom (1866–1931).

Since then, the institute has been researching and teaching almost continuously, even during the GDR era under the direction of Kurt Rudolph . After he left the University of Leipzig, however, religious studies were temporarily incorporated into other institutes. In 1993 the subject was able to re-establish itself in an independent institute within the framework of the Philosophical Faculty, which today bears the name Faculty of History, Art and Oriental Studies.

Hubert Seiwert has been professor for general and comparative religious studies at the institute since 1994 , with a focus on systematic religious studies and East Asian religious history.

Religious Studies Institute at the University of Leipzig

Christoph Kleine has held the professorship for the history of religion with a focus on Buddhism since 2008.

Institute profile

Religious Studies in Leipzig combines the systematic and comparative study of religions with research on the history of religion. The institute focuses on research into non-Christian religions (especially Buddhism and the religions of China and Japan ), comparative religious studies and the academic study of modern religions . Cooperation with other disciplines is indispensable and structurally favored in Leipzig; z. B. with the History Seminar, the Oriental Institute, the Institute for Indology and Central Asian Studies, the East Asian Institute and the Institute for Ethnology, as well as with the Theological Faculty.

The "Documentation Center for Religious and Philosophical Pluralism in Germany" has been affiliated with the institute since 1994 and collects source material on new religious movements in Germany and in German-speaking countries. It is the only university archive of its kind in Germany.

Study conditions

Religious Studies has been offered as a Master’s degree in Leipzig since 2006; with a focus on the history of religion , theory of religion or modern religions. There is also the option of taking religious studies as an elective as part of the bachelor's degree. From the winter semester 2012/13, an independent, but interdisciplinary bachelor's degree will be offered.

The following teachers are currently employed at the institute: Christoph Kleine (Managing Director), Hubert Seiwert , Klaus Fitschen (associated member of the institute), Giuseppe Veltri (associated member of the institute), Friederike Böllmann (research assistant; currently on leave), Nicole Hartmann (Research Associate), Katharina Neef (Research Associate), Ugo Dessì (Research Associate) and Heinz Mürmel. The topics offered by the above-mentioned teachers are, if possible, regularly supplemented by courses from guest lecturers.

Former professors

Web links

literature

  • Hans Haas: The Leipzig Research Institute for Comparative Religious History. in: Archive for Religious Studies 19 (1916/1919), pp. 435–440.
  • Kurt Rudolph: The history of religion at Leipzig University and the development of religious studies: a contribution to the history of science and the problem of religious studies. Academy, Berlin 1962. - 190 pp.
  • Kurt Rudolph: Leipzig and the study of religion. in: Numen 9 (1962), 53-68.
  • Kurt Rudolph: Dornseiff's religious history works. in: J. Werner (Ed.): Franz Dornseiff in Memoriam: Colloquium of the Department of Ancient Literature / Neo-Greek Studies at the Karl Marx University in Leipzig on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the death of F. Dornseiff. - Amsterdam 1986, 79-89.
  • Kurt Rudolph: Leipzig and the study of religion. in: K. Rudolph: History and Problems of Religious Studies. Brill, Leiden / New York / Cologne 1992, pp. 323–339.
  • Tobias Frick: Methodless, structureless, nothing going on ?: The religious studies teaching in Germany - a plea for professionalization. in: Spirita - Journal for Religious Studies 11 (1997), 8-16.
  • Holger Preißler: The rebuilding of religious studies in Leipzig since 1990. in: German Association for the History of Religions (DVRG)… Bulletin, No. 30, December 1998. - [10–12]
  • Religious Studies: Research and teaching at universities in Germany - a documentation. ed. from the German Association for the History of Religion. Introductory: HG Kippenberg and B. Gladigow, documentation: S. Rink. - Diagonal, Marburg 2001. - [Leipzig] 93 - 97.

credentials

  1. ^ Rudolph, Kurt: Leipzig and the study of religion. - in: Numen 9 (1962), 53-68.
  2. ↑ Preißler, Holger: The rebuilding of religious studies in Leipzig since 1990. - in: German Association for the History of Religions (DVRG)… Mitteilungsblatt, No. 30, December 1998. - [10-12]
  3. ↑ Preißler, Holger: The rebuilding of religious studies in Leipzig since 1990. - in: German Association for the History of Religions (DVRG)… Mitteilungsblatt, No. 30, December 1998. - [10-12]
  4. ^ Religious Studies in Leipzig - Basics by Holger Preißler and Heinz Mürmel
  5. ^ Documentation center for religious and ideological pluralism in Germany
  6. ↑ New Bachelor of Religious Studies starts University of Leipzig, press releases, number: 2012/153 from May 23, 2012
  7. ^ Staff at the Institute for Religious Studies