Prof. Dr. Ulrich Kropač

Education

• 1980-1986 Studied mathematics at the Technical University of Munich (degree: Dipl. Math.)
• 1986-1991 Studied theology and philosophy at the University of Passau and Pontificia Università Gregoriana in Rome (as a DAAD scholarship holder) (degree: Dipl. Theol.)
• 1992-1995 Doctoral studies in Catholic theology at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (as a doctoral scholarship holder)

Professional experience in schools and in the Church

• 1991-1992 Pastoral assistant in Simbach/Inn (diocese of Passau)
• 1992 First ecclesiastical public service exmanination (erste kirchliche Dienstprüfung)
• 1998-1999 Training as a religious studies teacher
• 1999 Second public service examination (zweite Dienstprüfung) for religious studies teachers
• Part-time work as a religious studies teacher at Hauptschule Undorf and Fachakademie für Sozialpädagogik in Passau

Academic career

• 1995-2004 Research associate at the Chair of Practical Theology (Prof. Dr. G. Hilger) at the University of Regensburg
• 1998 Doctoral degree (Dr. theol.) in dogmatics awarded by the Faculty of Catholic Theology at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München for a thesis on ‘Natural sciences and theology in dialogue. Radical changes in the understanding of the natural sciences and mathematical logic as a challenge to a debate’
• 2001/02 Temporary Chair of Catholic Theology and Didactics with a focus on Religious Education at the University of Dortmund
• 2004 Habilitation at the Faculty of Catholic Theology at the University of Regensburg. Habilitation thesis topic: ‘Religious education and revelation. The beginnings of an academic discipline of religious education at the interface between educational innovation and the position of the theology of revelation’
• 2004-2007 Chair of Religious Education and Catechetics at Chur University of Theology
• 2004-2007 (Deputy) director of the Pastoral Institute at Chur University of Theology
• Lecturer at Graubünden University of Education and the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt
• 2007-present Chair of Didactics of Religion, Catechetics, and Religious Education at the Faculty of Theology, Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt

Roles at the KU (selection)

• 2009-2011 Vice dean
• 2010 Visiting lecturer at the Faculty of Theology at Sofia Univer­sity St. Kliment Ohridski
• 2013-2015 Vice dean
• 2015-2019 Member and deputy chair of the University Council
• 2018 Visiting lecturer at Aristoteles-University Thessaloniki
• 2019-present Member and deputy chair of the University Council

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Kropač oversees a wide range of research projects. Details on past and current projects are available in German in the KU’s research database. Furthermore we inform you in the research section about the manifold research activities at our chair.

Professor Kropač’s research interests are:

• Bible didactics in schools in the postmodern age
• Religious education in state schools in postmodern societies
• Natural sciences and theology: perspectives in philosophy of science and religious education
• Conceptual questions in religious education
• Organizing academic conferences on (fundamental) questions in religious education

Detailed information and list of publications are available in German here.

A complete list of publications is available on the KU´s publication server. Information on Prof. Dr. Kropač’s book publications is available here. The listed publications are available in German.

Regular courses

• "Bildendes Handeln der Kirche an unterschiedlichen religiösen Lernorten" (lecture)
• "Religionspädagogisches und pastorales Handeln in der Schule. Zeitdiagnostische, praktische und wissenschaftstheoretische Aspekte" (lecture)
• "Bildung – Religion – Religionen" (EWS) (lecture)
• "Naturwissenschaft und Theologie: historische, wissenschaftstheoretische und didaktische Schlaglichter auf ein spannungsvolles Verhältnis" (seminar)
• "BA-/MA-Kolleg" (seminar)
• "Aktuelle Themen und Forschungsfragen der Religionspädagogik" (seminar)
• "Aufbaumodul Religionsdidaktik (Gym)" (seminar)

Past courses (selection)

• "Gewalt" (Ringvorlesung K´Universale), winter semester 2016/17
• "Flucht" (Ringvorlesung K´Universale), winter semester 2015/16
• "Religion und Gewalt. Gewalt in Christentum und Islam als Herausforderung für religiöse Bildung" (seminar), winter semester 2015/16
• "Alter(n) - Vom Umgang mit dem Unumgänglichen" (Ringvorlesung K´Universale), winter semester WS 2014/15
• "Religionspädagogik im europäischen Kontext am Beispiel Schweiz - interuniversitäres Seminar", winter semester WS 2009/10

Memberships in academic associations

• Member of the Association of Scholars in Catholic Religious Education and Catechetics (AKRK)
  • Member of the AKRK’s Didactics department
  • Member of the AKRK’s History of Religious Education department
• Member of the Deutscher Katchetenverein (German Association of Catechists, DKV)
• Member of the Joseph-Bernhart-Gesellschaft (Joseph Bernhard Society)

Roles at the University

Past roles

• Member of the working group ‘Migration in the Context of Religions and Cultures within the Framework of Globalization’ tasked with establishing a research priority
• Member of the working group ‘Personal Development under Consideration of the Individual and the Institution’ tasked with establishing a research priority
• Member of the senate committee ‘Research’
• Member of the senate committee ‘Studying, Teaching, and Quality Assurance’
• Member of the Faculty of Theology’s profile development committee
• Member of the executive committee responsible for revising the statues for the Center for Teacher Education and Education Research
• Member of the board of the Center for Teacher Education and Education Research
• Winter semester 2009/10 – summer semester 2011: Vice dean
• Winter semester 2013/14 – summer semester 2015: Vice dean

Current roles

• Member of the board of the Center for Marriage and Family in Society (ZFG)
• Member of the doctoral examination committee of the Maximilian-Bickhoff-Stiftung (Maximillian Bickhoff Foundation)
• Member of the editorial board for Eichstätter Studien (Studies from Eichstätt). EOS: St. Ottilien 2013ff. Continuation of the series under the modified title "K’Universale. Interdisziplinäre Diskurse zu Fragen der Zeit“, transcript: Bielefeld 2020ff.
• Member of the group responsible for defining and shaping the KU’s profile
• Member of the KU’s Center for Teacher Education and Education Research
• October 1, 2015–present: Member and deputy of the University Council

• October 1, 2017 speaker of the Studium.Pro management team

Roles in academic associations

• 2012–present: member of the executive committee of AKRK
• 2013–2020: co-editor-in-chief of Religionspädagogische Beiträge (Articles on Religious Education, RpB), the main German-language journal in the field of Catholic religious education, with Prof. Dr. G. Langenhorst, Augsburg

Collaborations

• Inter-university doctoral and habilitation candidates’ colloquium (participating universities: Bamberg: Prof. Dr. K. Lindner; Freiburg: Prof. Dr. M. Schambeck; Eichstätt: Prof. Dr. U. Kropač)

Other activities

• Supervisor for six doctoral candidates
• Member of the team responsible for planning and running the lecture and seminar series Forum K’Universale
• Head of the Bachelor’s/Master’s thesis study group "Religion – Religiosity – Religious Education"
• Collaboration on the Uganda project ‘The Challenge of Education’ (partners in Uganda: St. James Primary School, Luigi Giussani High School, Permanent Center of Education)
• Various roles in faculty councils and specialist committees (e.g. doctoral committee)
• Extensive lecturing activities in Germany and abroad
• Participation in professional development measures for religious studies teachers
• Mentor in the Max Weber Program (German Academic Scholarship Foundation)

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Kropač organized various conferences, detailed reports can be found in the conference section.

• Think Tank (in planning): Religiöse Bildung in der Schule im Horizont wachsender Konfessionslosigkeit (Eichstätt 06./07.10.2021)
• Study day: Religionskultur – eine Herausforderung für religiöse Bildung (Eichstätt 27.11.2019)
• Conference: Jugend – Religion – Relevanz. Konfessioneller Religionsunterricht und Jugendpastoral in bekenntnisdiffusen Lebenswelten (Eichstätt 21.01.2016)
• Conference: Zwischen Religion und Religiosität. Herausforderungen für Religionsunterricht und kirchliche Jugendarbeit durch ungebundene Religionskulturen (Eichstätt 09.-11-10.2013)
• Conference: Jugend – Religion – Religiosität. Resultate, Probleme und Perspektiven der aktuellen Religiositätsforschung (Eichstätt 07.-09.10.2010)

• 2001 Pädagogik innovativ prize awarded by the Bayerischer Lehrer- und Lehrerinnenverband (Bavarian Teachers’ Association, BLLV) for innovative projects in teacher training for the project ‘The Reformation and Counter-Reformation in Context – Approaches in Didactics of Religion in a Block Seminar in Trento’ (with Dr. Matthias Bahr)