International Summer School
German (and) Theology
28.6–16.7.2021
The 2019 summer school ended with the graduation of our participants in July 2019. The following 6th summer school German (and) Theology is now scheduled to take place from the 28th of June to the 16th of July 2021. Registration for this will open in 2020 – please check this space for further announcements.
Experiences by former summer school participants
From Martin Luther to Friedrich Schleiermacher, from Dietrich Bonhoeffer to Rudolf Bultmann and Karl Barth, theology in German has been hugely influential in the Protestant tradition. The protestant faculty of theology of Mainz university invites postgraduate students and young international scholars to attend a three week summer school taking place in July. The summer school is an opportunity for theologians (even with hitherto little knowledge of German) to immerse into language, thought, and the intellectual world of German theology.
The curriculum consists of three one-week modules and daily classes:
Week 1: German theologians from Luther to Pannenberg; classic texts of German theology
Week 2: German biblical scholarship
Week 3: The making of intercultural theology in Germany
Theological German (daily)
It is the aim of the summer school that all participants will be able to read and understand important German theological source texts upon completion of their courses even if they have not had the chance to study German in depth before. International doctoral and postgraduate students will thus become familiar with the thought processes and dynamics of German theology which may prove to be immensely fruitful for anybody striving to pursue a career in theology or related fields.
In addition, there will be two excursions to key places of the German Reformation in and near Mainz.
Mainz
Academic theology has had an institutional place in the heart of Mainz for almost 1000 years. The theology faculty of the kurfürstliche Universität was established in 1477 and soon became one of the largest theology faculties in Europe. At that time the talmudic school had long been an important part of the rich intellectual world of the Jewish communities in Mainz, Worms and Speyer in the middle ages. Today, the university is named after the local inventor of the printing press Johannes Gutenberg. Over 100 theologians teach more than 1300 students in one of the largest schools for theological education in Germany.
The diverse cultural heritage of the region, the central location (only 20 minutes from the largest German airport Frankfurt), but also the attractive setting and Lebensart on the river Rhine has made Mainz a favorite destination.
Accommodation for the participants in the summer school will be provided by German host families in Mainz and is organized by the university's own Zentrum für Wissenschaftliche Weiterbildung.
Teaching
The 2021 course will be mainly taught by
• Professor Ulrich Volp (Ecclesiastical History and History of Doctrine)
• Professor Ruben Zimmermann (New Testament)
• Professor Michael Roth (Systematic Theology)
• Professor Volker Küster (Intercultural Theology)
• Professor Wolfgang Zwickel (Biblical Archeology)
• specialized language tutors from the department of Deutsch als Fremdsprache.
All participants are entitled to visit the regular lectures of the faculty of theology in order to gain an insight into the teaching at one of the leading theological schools in Germany. They will also have unlimited access to all the libraries and campus facilities.
All successful participants will be awarded a certificate from the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.
Applications
Applications are invited from postgraduate students and other scholars with an interest in German theology.
Applicants should
• have a first degree in theology, divinity, religion or related fields
• be proficient in English
• have some basic knowledge of German.
Candidates should not hesitate to contact the organizers if in doubt as to meeting the requirements (e.g. the exact level of advisable current language skills). The total costs are EUR 1250.– and include:
• teaching equivalent of 6 certifiable ECTS
• accommodation in host families or student housing (meals are typically not provided and not included)
• excursions (travel and entrance fees)
• JGU certificate after successful completion
A limited number of grants will be available to help covering the costs. The extend and application procedure will be available through this website in late 2020 – please check this space!
Registration is through the ZWW website (with detailed conditions of participation), and must be completed before applying for a grant.
Deadline for applications: 1st of May 2021 (deadlines for grant applications vary).
International Summer School German (and) Theology
is a project of Evangelisch-Theologische Fakultät (FB 01), developed in cooperation with Zentrum für Wissenschaftliche Weiterbildung and DaF – Deutsch als Fremdsprache, FB 05, and the School of Divinity, University of St. Andrews/UK. It has received substantial financial support from Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst DAAD (with the Federal Foreign Office) in the past.
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Ulrich Volp
Seminar für Kirchengeschichte und Territorialkirchengeschichte
Evangelisch-Theologische Fakultät
Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
55099 Mainz
ph.: +49-6131-39-20253
fax: +49-6131-39-22603
e-mail: uvolp@uni-mainz.de
Contact details for guest families:
Rachel Friedrich M.A.
ph.: +49-6131-39-20253
fax: +49-6131-39-22603
e-mail: friedri@uni-mainz.de
