Objectives

The ZRKG is a central research institution of the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt that aims at bringing together those subjects and disciplines at the KU that deal with the thematic field of religion, church and society, as well as pooling the existing expertise and orienting it towards joint research questions and objectives. In this way, the topic is to be developed and expanded into a substantial field of competence and research at the KU in the long term. In addition, it is intended to promote trans- and interdisciplinary dialog, to improve the networking of KU researchers on a national and international level and thus to contribute to a clearer profile of the KU as a whole. To this end, researchers from seven faculties are working on the key topics mentioned above. The selected questions and projects are approached in a research-oriented manner in critical-independent and inter-faculty cooperation. The ZRKG stimulates, strengthens and advances research in the thematic field, which is substantiated in four main objectives:

The ZRKG...

...pools existing expertise at the KU into a focus area in religion-related transformation research, which combines historical, educational-theoretical and socio-cultural with theological and philosophical questions, and connects scientists in the three research fields across faculties in a close network to intensify interdisciplinary discourse;

...supports the initiation, application, acquisition and implementation of preferably interdisciplinary projects or collaborative research projects and links project-related research to other disciplines;

...contributes to a research-friendly environment at the KU in the subject area and motivates and qualifies early-career scientists at an early stage to conduct independent, preferably interdisciplinary research in this field;

...enhances and strengthens the profile of the KU by making discourses, projects and research achievements in the topic area visible and accessible to interested stakeholders. This mainly includes regular organization and realization of scientific events of different formats, the promotion of high-quality publications, but also appropriate public relations work and targeted knowledge transfer from and to society and to relevant target groups.