Institute for Religious Studies


IRW Collage
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News

  • Lecture by Frau Prof. Dr. Inken Prohl
    "‚Populärkultur‘ –Begriffliche Erprobungen, buddhistische Kompositionen und kosmische Reisen" as part of the event "Summer School: Kulturelle Bildung – Transdisziplinäre Perspektiven für die Schule", 11.09.2023, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.

  • Contribution with Frau Prof. Dr. Inken Prohl "Soka Gakkai-einzige anerkannte buddhistische Religiongemeinschaft in Deutschland" for the Deutschlandfunk, 13.07.2022 (Audiothek)

  • Podcast with Prof. Dr. Inken Prohl
    "Der selbst gemachte Buddha. Buddhismus, Kapitalismus und künstliche Intelligenz." for the Podcast "Erschöpfung statt Gelassenheit - Warum Achtsamkeit die falsche Antwort auf ziemlich jede Frage ist", 15.12.2022. (Spotify, YouTube)

Coaching for first-year students summer term 2023

The Institute for Religious Studies offers an event to introduce students to the study programme and the university and to provide orientation in the study of Religious Studies.

The event introduces the basics of Religious Studies in Heidelberg and offers particular assistance regarding the preparation of a timetable, the acquisition of credit points, the use of the library as well as the expectations placed on presentations and written examination performances.
The target group is first-year students in particular, but also anyone else who would like to make their (Bachelor's) studies more efficient and increase their overview at an earlier or later stage.

Date: 12.10.2023, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.

For more information, click here.

If you have any questions or concerns in advance, please contact fabienne.laval@stud.uni-heidelberg.de.

Mailing List

The Institute for Religious Studies runs a mailing list which regularly informs about current announcements, event et.c. To join our mailing list, please contac administration via email.

Students that have taken part in the introductory course for first semester students and filled out the attendance sheet will automatically be added to the mailing list.




Approaches at the Institute for Religious Studies in Heidelberg

At the Institute for Religious Studies at Heidelberg University both history of religion and current religious developments are subject of teaching and research. The approaches followed in Heidelberg are based in a cultural studies perspective; religious beliefs, practices and materials are products of historical developments, which have to be considered in their respective historical, cultural and societal contexts. Questions of general as well as period-specific religious history and contemporary religious developments are equally considered in research and teaching.




History of Religious Studies in Heidelberg

The subject religious studies was established at Heidelberg University in 1967 with the initial professorship of Günter Lanczkowski (1917-1993). In 1978 this initial professorship was transformed into a full chair in religious history at the Faculty of Philosophy and History, now the Faculty of Philosophy. After the retirement of Günter Lanczkowski in 1982 the professorship remained vacant.




Female Social Realities

Religious studies as a subject draws legitimacy not least from the fact that its perspective is one of cultural studies. Cultural studies takes positions of actors as part of discourses leading to the production of 'reality'. This 'reality' is then contextualized by scholars of religious studies. Contextualizations show the historical conditionality and relativity of reality. Alternative possibilities in historical developments become visible. As a consequence, the status quo can be challenged since it no longer appears as a product of fate or destiny.




E-Mail: Seitenbearbeiterin
Letzte Änderung: 14.07.2023