History of the Faculty of Theology

Two professors of theology were already present when the University was founded in Greifswald’s cathedral in 1456 on the initiative of the lawyer and mayor, Heinrich Rubenow. The Faculty of Theology is one of the founding faculties. Today, the Faculty of Theology counts approximately 400 students.

The familiar atmosphere of this Faculty has attracted several students and staff: it’s not difficult for students to start conversations with one another and with members of the teaching staff. As it is usually easy to appoint most of the chairs, when it comes to teaching our lecturers are “generalists”, but due to their innovative research they are recognised as versatile “experts”. Biblical studies do not just look at the exegesis of the Old and New Testaments, but also the literature, culture and cult of Judaism. The collections of the Gustav Dalman Institute endow our Faculty with a rich trove of treasures for this field of study.

The representatives of church history focus specifically on modern-day church history, a rarity amongst sister faculties. Systematic theology looks at the question of truth in Christian belief. Our Faculty approaches this topic by also looking at the ideas and thoughts proposed by poets and writers. Practical theology focusses on the portrayal of Christianity in Church and society and deals with the responsible shaping of Christian existence based on the biblical message. Church services and sermons, pastoral duties and clinical ethics, as well as church development and evangelism are the key fields of interest. Practical theology has been supported by the Research Institute for Evangelism and Church Development since it was founded in 2004. The discipline of religious education and media education is related to teaching practices at school and within the parish. New emphasis is given to the academic study of media, in particular the ‘children’s internet culture’.

Greifswald’s Faculty of Theology has experienced both hard and remarkable times, but also periods of mediocrity. Yet it has always shaped the life of this University, the town and the region’s Church. In the new beginnings of 1945 and 1989 it also managed to remain faithful to itself - as a reliable place of intellectual freedom. The teaching staff of the Faculty of Theology interpret life scientifically from a specific and necessary perspective: the question regarding the religious nature of mankind and the corresponding Christian answer.