Theological courses

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Churhaus, Stephansplatz 3, seat of the theological courses

The theological courses are the oldest adult education institution of the Roman Catholic Church in the German-speaking area , which is dedicated to the systematic-theological introduction to the Christian faith. Founded in Vienna in 1940 as the so-called "Theological Lay Year" (today course in Vienna) and expanded in 1950 to include the correspondence course throughout Austria, the theological courses are offered by the Archdiocese of Vienna (Viennese Theological Course) and by the Austrian Bishops' Conference (Institute for Distance Learning Theological Education) carried.

The theological courses, based on Stephansplatz in Vienna, organize courses and events across Austria.

Task and objective

The core offer, the multi-year theological course, is based on the subject canon of Catholic faculties in Austria and consists of oral lectures and written course documents (scripts). In teaching academic theology, interdenominational and interreligious dialogue is also taken into account.

In the Austrian Church, the course completion is a prerequisite for some non-academic pastoral professions (deacon, pastoral assistant, hospital pastoral care).

The theological courses are a state-recognized, funded and quality-tested adult education institution and cooperation partner of Hunger for art and culture .

Self-image

The theological courses have the task of conveying university theology in an understandable way to those interested. They offer a scientifically responsible philosophical-theological basic knowledge and encourage reflective and argumentative discussion of questions of faith. Biblically founded and standing in the tradition of church life and teaching, they formulate the Catholic faith in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council . One of the aims of the courses is to lead the participants in an open dialogue to reflect on their personal faith - this can include skepticism and doubt - to support the mature and constructive discussion of church teaching and to talk about questions of faith with members of other Christians To enable denominations, non-Christian religions and representatives of contemporary trends. The courses understand this as the basis for social and church engagement.

Target group and requirements

The theological courses are open to all adults in and outside the Church. No previous training is required to participate in the courses. The willingness to get involved in the process of theological reflection in the spiritual realm of the Catholic Church is expected.

history

The founder: Margarete Schmid

Margarete Schmid , born in Innsbruck in 1914, studied philosophy in Innsbruck - theology was not possible for lay people at the time - and received her doctorate in December 1937. At the beginning of 1938 she went to Vienna to develop apostolic initiatives in the Catholic Action. Despite the dissolution of all church associations ordered by the National Socialists, Schmid continued to work under the personal protection of Cardinal Theodor Innitzer and founded the "Theological Lay Year", the later theological courses, on behalf of the church in 1940. Regardless of the personal risk, she also ran the “Schmid'schen Salon” in her apartment, where well-known theologians and philosophers such as Karl Rahner , Romano Guardini , Alfred Delp , Erich Przywara and others. a. cultivated intellectual exchange. After opening the course for non-clerics, Schmid studied theology in Vienna (doctorate 1956); Until 1980 she remained the leader of the theological courses and maintained private theological-philosophical discussion groups into old age. Margarete Schmid died in January 1997 at the age of 83.

Exposed Faith (1940)

The decisive impetus for the establishment of the Theological Courses in 1940 was the dire situation in which the Church had gotten since the Nazis came to power in 1938. The anti-faith environment and the dissolution of church associations and structures accelerated the practical implementation of an older concern of many believers, namely to find a decisive implementation of faith beyond tradition, customs and social conventions. On behalf of the former head of the pastoral care office Karl Rudolf and under the direct protection of Cardinal Theodor Innitzer , Margarete Schmid founded the "Theological Laity Year" - as the theological courses were originally called - as a permanent institution and remained its director until 1980.

Renowned specialist theologians and professors of the theological faculties in Vienna and Innsbruck (the latter was closed in 1939), among them Karl Rahner , Franz Mitzka SJ or Franz König , taught at the “Theological Laity Year”, which was different despite dictatorship, the chaos of war and the uncertainty of the occupation enjoyed a continuous and brisk influx.

After the end of the war (1945)

After 1945, apart from a three-week break at the end of the war, the “Theological Laity Year” was continued as the theological educational institution of the Archdiocese of Vienna. The objective remained the same: Spiritually demanding Catholics should learn to think about and justify their faith theologically under qualified guidance.

At the end of the 1940s, Margarete Schmid expanded her educational concept to include the new model of the correspondence course (1950 for the first time in all Austrian dioceses). The team of lecturers, who come from all over Austria, was able to draw on many years of experience in the Viennese theological courses and the scripts already available there. By 1970 - this was unique in the German-speaking area - numerous participants from Germany also completed the correspondence course for theological education. In order to give the distance course participants the opportunity to develop and discuss the content under the guidance of specialist theologians, two study weeks were set up.

After the 2nd Vatican Council (1965)

The Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) brought about a reorientation of the church's self-image and a lasting change in theological thinking. The overall renewal of the courses, which was therefore necessary, including the revision of all scripts in line with the Council's resolutions, became a program for years. Council theology was discussed at lecturers' conferences, because the teachers also had to give an account of its importance and consequences, set other priorities and, above all, reflect on the connections between the individual disciplines. In order to build bridges of understanding for the course participants, the Council texts translated into German were copied and seminars were held on the most important results and their interpretation. Graduates from previous years also took the opportunity to adapt their knowledge to the new status. There were specially tailored courses for religious orders - all in all a contribution to the rapid reception of the Council in the Austrian Church.

present

At the Austria-wide festive events on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the theological courses in the 2015/16 academic year - against the background of the discussion about the anchoring of academic theology at state universities - the relationship between the theological subjects and their future status in relation to religion and Society at the center of lectures and panel discussions.

Today the focus is on the social and ecclesiastical relevance of theology and theological education. In times of advancing secularization and the increasing presence of other religions, especially Islam, a sound knowledge of the Christian faith and the cultural roots of Europe is also of great social importance.

International impact history

Graduates of the theological correspondence course from Germany and Switzerland suggested the establishment of similar institutes in their home countries: In 1956, believers and theologians from the German-speaking dioceses founded a theological course in Zurich (today: "theologiekurse.ch"); In Germany, a corresponding correspondence course in theology was established in 1970 under church sponsorship (initially designed for young adults and located in Düsseldorf) in Würzburg. Other non-institutional offers were and still are in Hungary, Italy (Brixen, Rome) and the GDR.

Course offer

Theological course

The core offering of the theological courses is the two- or three-year theological course. It can be taken as a correspondence course or as a course in Vienna and completed with exams. For the permanent diaconate and some pastoral professions it is required as a basic theological training. The theological course is offered in two types, which are identical in content. Course type I is systematically structured and is based on the subjects of university theology studies (Old Testament, New Testament, fundamental theology, philosophy, dogmatics, moral theology, liturgy, canon law, spirituality, pastoral theology, church history and religious studies). The content is conveyed through lectures. Course type II consists of 18 parts, which are coordinated in terms of content and deal with certain theological topics across disciplines. Lectures are deepened through group work and discussions.

Course in Vienna

The Vienna Theological Course is a face-to-face course and lasts two years. It takes place once a week over four semesters (in the evening, in the afternoon or in the morning) in the course rooms on Stephansplatz and comprises two units of 90 minutes per week. Scripts are available for all subjects.

Correspondence course

The correspondence course lasts two and a half years, consists of the monthly sending of scripts as well as either a study week in an Austrian educational establishment or four weekend seminars per year.

Specialty courses

The theological courses also offer special courses. Some of these courses deepen selected theological content (Spirituality 50+, celebration of the sacraments, etc.). Other special courses offer basic knowledge about the Christian denominations (Eastern Churches - in cooperation with the University of Vienna and Pro Oriente - Evangelical Churches) or the major religions (Judaism, Islam, Buddhism; world religions) and thus contribute to interdenominational and interreligious dialogue. Certain courses are aimed at certain groups of people in the (full-time or voluntary) church service and serve as further training in pastoral engagement (Bible rounds, baptismal discussions, etc.). The specialty courses also include the language courses that enable the reading of biblical texts in the original languages ​​of Hebrew, Ancient Greek and Latin.

Academy at the cathedral

The program of the Viennese theological courses also includes the public lectures, series and interdisciplinary podium events offered under “ Akademie am Dom - Catholic Academy Vienna ”. They offer different approaches to general questions of human existence and meaning and sometimes take place with cooperation and media partners. This offer is not only aimed at Catholic Christians, but is open to anyone interested in ecclesiastical-religious, scientific, cultural and socio-political discourse. These events each have a thematic framework for one academic year, but can be attended individually. In the 2017/18 academic year, the focus of the year was "Ways out of fear", on which theologians and experts from the fields of philosophy, psychiatry, law, music and linguistics give presentations. In 2020/21 the events revolve around the topic of "Trust | Crisis". In addition to the annual focus, there are offers in the field of art & culture and the “u35: Young Academy” program for young adults. Selected lectures at the Akademie am Dom will be published as podcasts .

Basic information about Christianity

The course “Basic Info Christianity” is aimed primarily at non-Christians and people without church socialization. The aim of the course is to inform members of all worldviews in a theologically sound way about the Christian faith in the past and present. The aim is to convey the biblical-Christian tradition and to bring it into discussion as socially relevant. “Basisinfo Christentum” is part of the “Identity and Interculturality” project funded by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Education, Art and Culture from 2008–2011 .

literature

  • "Theology up to date". The journal of the theological courses, special issue "75 years of theological courses" 31st year 2015/16.
  • "Theology up to date". The Journal of Theological Courses, Issue 2 “75 Years of Theological Courses” Part II: Documentation, 32nd year 2016/17.
  • Erhard Lesacher: Like a weaver, you woven my life to the end. GDR. Margarete Schmid (1914–1997) . In: Konstantia Auer, Manfred Scheuer (Hrsg.): Strong women in the Tyrolean church. The silence is stronger than the loud . Ursprunger KEG, Innsbruck 2008, pp. 143–155.
  • Erhard Lesacher: The Vienna Theological Course - An offer to grow up in faith . In: Lebendige Seelsorge 51, 2000, 286f.
  • 50 years of correspondence course, 60 years of Viennese course . In: Theologie Aktuell , 15th year, 1999/2000, issue 5.
  • Margarete Schmid: I called you by your name . In: Leonore Rambosek (Ed.): Girls for everything - Emanze from service. Our experiences with the Church . Herder, Freiburg / Basel / Vienna 1988, pp. 38–53.
  • Josef Weismayer, Ursula Struppe (Hrsg.): Theological courses. An institution introduces itself . Self-published, 1987.
  • Walter Kirchschläger, Helmut Krätzl, Margarete Schmid (eds.): Lay people study theology. 40 years of theological courses in Vienna, 30 years of correspondence courses for theological education . Self-published, 1980.
  • Irene Walke: Theological correspondence courses from a didactic aspect . Dissertation. Vienna 1976.
  • Lay people study theology. 10 years "Correspondence course for theological lay education". A report on the meaning, goal and implementation of this form of theological education for lay people . Austrian Pastoral Institute, 1960.
  • Karl Rudolf: Building up in the Resistance. A pastoral report from Austria 1938–1945 . Otto Müller Verlag, Salzburg 1947.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ For some the systematic-theological training for their church service, e.g. For example: permanent diaconate (see framework of the Bishops 'Conference. In: Official Journal of the Austrian Bishops' Conference , No. 3, April 15, 1989, Section No. 40 3.2.a, p. 41), Second course for non-academic pastoral assistants in the Archdiocese Vienna ( Wiener Diözesanblatt , 113th year, 1975, p. 72), part-time training for non-academic pastoral assistants at the seminar for church professions (study regulations for part-time training for qualified pastoral assistants at the Institute for Pastoral Professions of October 2, 1997, Section 3.1 ). Recognition in Germany: The completion of the theological course corresponds to a completed basic and advanced course of 'Theology in correspondence course' in Würzburg. It thus justifies the entry into the Würzburg religious education-catechetical course.
  2. ↑ LQW (learner-oriented quality testing in further education), Ö-Cert (quality framework for adult education in Austria) and PILGRIM network (spirituality and education for sustainable development)
  3. ↑ You are a member of the Forum for Catholic Adult Education in Austria and thus also the Conference of Adult Education in Austria . The Fernkurs Institute is also a member of the Austrian Distance Learning Association
  4. ^ Together with the friends of the theological courses .
  5. ↑ MISSION OF THE THEOLOGICAL COURSES. Retrieved March 6, 2018 .
  6. ↑ Documented in: “theologie aktuell”. The journal of the theological courses, special issue "75 years of theological courses" 31st year 2015/16
  7. ↑ http://www.theologischekurse.at/site/kursangebote/theologenerkursinwien
  8. ↑ http://www.theologischekurse.at/site/kursangebote/theologischerfernkurs
  9. ↑ http://www.theologischekurse.at/site/kursangebote/spezialkurse
  10. ^ Academy at the cathedral. Retrieved June 3, 2019 .
  11. ↑ She is the legal successor to the Vienna Catholic Academy (until 2017 part of the categorical pastoral care of the [Archdiocese of Vienna]).
  12. ↑ E.g. the “Trialogue between Jews, Christians and Muslims” in cooperation with ORF (religion.orf.at broadcast March 15, 2008); “75 Years of Theological Courses” (religion.orf.at/radio/stories broadcast on September 2, 2015); “Learning from the initial phase - why Christianity has spread so rapidly” (religion.orf.at broadcast August 15, 2016). Frequent cooperation partners are the Pro Oriente Foundation , the Platform for Christians and Muslims (funded by the Cultural Department of the City of Vienna, Science and Research Funding), the Coordination Committee for Jewish-Christian Cooperation and the Ecclesiastical Pedagogical University Vienna / Krems as well as institutions of the Archdiocese of Vienna (including personnel development, liturgy department , Telephone counseling, WIGE - platform for divorced and remarried in the church). There are regular cooperations with educational institutions throughout Austria, e.g. B. with St. Virgil and Puchberg Castle .
  13. ↑ Permanent media partners are Radio Klassik Stephansdom , Der Sonntag and Die Furche ; for selected events of religious-political or ecumenical interest such as For example, the annual Mechaje Hametim week to commemorate the November 1938 pogroms of the ORF ( religion.orf.at ) or on the “Judaism Day”: Christianity and Judaism: a fundamental and disruptive relationship. Insights, experiences, perspectives. In: The furrow . The Austrian weekly newspaper, issue 2, January 9, 2009.
  14. ↑ Erhard Lesacher: Editorial - AKADEMIE am DOM. In: theologie aktuell. Die Zeitschrift der THEOLOGISCHE KURSE H. 01/33 Vol. 2017/18, 3. Accessed on March 6, 2018 .
  15. ^ Academy at the cathedral. Retrieved July 7, 2020 .
  16. ↑ http://www.theologischekurse.at/site/kursangebote/akademieamdomkunst-theologie
  17. ↑ http://www.theologischekurse.at/site/kursangebote/akademieamdomu35-junge-akademie
  18. ↑ Podcasts - theology to listen to. Accessed March 31, 2020 .
  19. ^ Basic information on Christianity - Idea. Retrieved March 6, 2018 .