The fundamental structure of research and teaching stems from the Institute’s traditional division into the five theological disciplines: Old Testament, New Testament, Church History, Systematic Theology and Religious Education.

Alongside these, on an equal footing, two fields of research bring together the Institute’s shared interests:

1. The research focus ‘Religion and Culture – Ecumenism and Interreligious Theology’.
2. The research focus‘Biblical Studies, Early Judaism and Biblical Archaeology’, with its emphasis on 1 .) the origins, theology and hermeneutics of the Bible (the Hebrew Bible as well as the Old and New Testaments), as well as 2.) religious and cultural history of early Judaism and 3.) biblical archaeology.

Both Biblical Studies (i.e. the chairs for the Old and New Testaments) and the Institute’s specialisation ‘Religion and Culture – Ecumenism and Interreligious Theology’ (particularly through the chairs of Systematic Theology and Ecumenism, Religious Education and Church History) contribute to individual research as well as to the university’s priority area ‘Diversity and Participation’ through interdisciplinary, national and international co-operations .

These areas of focus at the Oldenburg Institute serve to equip students to engage in a sustainable, informed and forward-looking manner with the opportunities and challenges of current (Protestant) religious education as well as the planned ‘Christian Religious Education’ (CRU) within the historical, religious, social and cultural discourse. Inseparably linked to these perspectives are the backgrounds and implications of latent or overt anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism.

1. “Religion and Culture – Ecumenism and Interreligious Theology”

The research focus ‘Religion and Culture – Ecumenism and Interreligious Theology’ brings together diverse research and teaching perspectives from the Institute and individual research projects. A key focus of the disciplines of Systematic Theology, Religious Education and Church History is on examining these processes in the present day; from the perspective of cultural and religious studies , particular attention is paid to the interdependencies between German and European modernity and Jewish culture.

Jewish Studies at the Oldenburg Institute have a structural home in the ‘Centre for Intercultural Jewish Studies’. Founded in 1995 and conceptually reoriented in 2011, the centre is an interdisciplinary body within School IV - School of Humanities and Social Sciences and is supported by the Institutes of Theology and Religious Education, History and Philosophy. Since 2018, there has also been the Centre for Transcultural Interreligious Studies. A key aim of the Centre is to help people understand Judaism’s contribution to European culture as a historical condition and an integral part of our contemporary society: The focus of its research and teaching activities is therefore on the history of Christian-Jewish relations and interconnections, as well as intercultural relations with Islam. You can find the Centre’s website here.

2. “Biblical Studies, Early Judaism and Biblical Archaeology”

The Oldenburg Institute of Theology and Religious Education has a particular research focus on the Old Testament and New Testament, including the associated biblical languages of Hebrew and Greek. The question of how the (Jewish) Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible – as the Old and New Testaments – are to be properly understood in modern times from literary, historical and theological perspectives lies at the centre of its research and teaching. In view of constantly changing conditions of understanding, this question must be addressed anew by every generation.

Engaging with the origins and interpretation of biblical texts enables us to appropriately grasp and further develop contemporary historical, social and socio-political perceptions of reality and interpretative approaches. A key area of focus within Oldenburg’s Biblical Studies is also the origins and (religious) and cultural history of early Judaism, from the Persian period through to the pre-rabbinic era. The Old Testament Department, in particular, is conducting research in this area through several international, externally funded projects. Furthermore, the Old Testament department’s research focus is on biblical archaeology, which, in addition to research projects on the history of Israel and Judah, also includes the excavation led by Prof. Dr Benedikt Hensel at Hazor (Israel) and the annual Israel Summer School programme offered by the Old Testament department ( click here for the Biblical Archaeology website; click here for the Oldenburg Israel Summer School).

Despite all the meticulous philological, historical and historical-religious work involved, the ultimate aim of such research is theological and hermeneutical: the biblical texts are to be made accessible for the present day, not least as an essential point of reference for Christian-Jewish dialogue and for interfaith dialogue in general. They thus bear witness to processes of religious transformation and identity formation that extend into the modern era – yet they also reflect, respond to and generate religious diversity and cultural plurality.

The broad scope of biblical studies in Oldenburg thus also takes account of the future requirements of Christian Religious Education ( CRU), for (according to the ‘position paper on Christian Religious Education’) ‘every endeavour towards growing ecumenism has its foundation in the Bible, the writings of the Old and New Testaments.’ (p. 14) And particularly in the face of competing interpretations and interpretative traditions, it is always clear ‘[…], that the biblical text always requires interpretation’ (p. 16).

3. The biblical languages in Oldenburg: Hebrew – Greek – Latin

In line with the focus of the Oldenburg Institute, the biblical languages (Hebrew, Greek, Latin) are of particular importance. For students of Protestant Theology/Religion (teacher training), Hebrew is the alternative to compulsory Greek provided for in the module plan and is thus a unique feature of the Oldenburg programme in Protestant Religion. This offers students at UOL the opportunity to acquire an additional qualification that goes beyond the usual requirements, as well as to study the world and context of the Old Testament and ancient Judaism in greater depth. The Hebrew course also lays the foundations for these Jewish studies, which can be explored in greater depth across disciplines and departments as the course progresses. Furthermore, there is the opportunity to learn Modern Hebrew (Ivrith) in co-operation with the Jewish Community of Oldenburg.