Key research focus religion and ethics

The research area encompassing "Religion and Ethics" is focussed on the various presentations of societal change across all its diverse levels, as well as on the associated challenges these changes create for organised religion. The research spectrum includes questions connected with religious congregations, parishes, diocesan administrations, church hospitals, as well as other institutions and activity fields of churches including their diaconia and caritas.

Professors involved 

• Prof.in Dr. Erika Adam 
• Prof.in Dr. theol. Stephanie Bohlen
• Prof. Dr. theol. habil. Christoph Heizler
• Prof.in Dr. Jutta Nowak 
• Prof. Dr. Thomas Schmidt
• Prof. Dr. Dorian Winter

Examples of completed projects

• Flexible working hours for church employees
• A detailed look at the capuchins
• Caritas in the vicinity of the church tower of the Archdiocese of Berlin
• Easing the burden for administrative officers in the Archdiocese of Freiburg
• Evaluation of pastoral care in schools
• Caritas youth welfare
• Church finds city - city finds church in Frankfurt am Main
• Leaving the church as a process
• KGAM/An evaluation of the guidelines for other languages used in catholic parishes 
• Religious life and secularisation
• Pastoral reports
• Pastoral 2030
• The spiritual resources for caritas in the Diocese of Würzburg
• Church staff working in the clearing offices of the Archdiocese of Freiburg
• The people's church in the Rheingau/Bishopric of Limburg
• What do Hessians believe? - Commissioned by Hessian Television
• What does the word christian mean in a caritas institution? An empirical study based on the example of Catholic hospitals (Caritasverband im Erzbistum Freiburg)

Selected Publications

• Heizler, C. (2025). Mit Johannes Calvin Kirche verstehen – Eine Inspiration für Reformen in katho-lischen Bistümern?. In B. Harbeck-Pingel & M. Quisinsky (Hrsg.), Transformative Ekklesiologie (S. 47–82). Karl-Alber-Verlag. Link zur DOI.
• Heizler, C. (Hrsg.). (2023). Sehnsucht nach dem Himmel. Ordensinspirierte Seelsorge. Echter.
• Heizler, C. (2023). Erfahrungen klinischer Seelsorge in der anhaltenden Pandemie. Hochbeanspruchte früher und systematischer unterstützen. Anzeiger für die Seelsorge, 1/2023, 15-19.
• Schmidt, T., Heller, A., & Bartosch, H. (2023). Was haben Seelsorgende mit dem Nebel von Frau D. zu tun? Organisationsethische Perspektiven. In C. Mandry, C. & G. Wanderer (Hrsg.), Narrative Ethik in der Krankenhausseelsorge. Ethische und theologische Analysen und Diskussionen von Fallerzählungen (195-199). Kohlhammer.
• Schmidt, T. (2023). Gerechte Rationierung? Allokationsethik im Gesundheitssystem. In: Riedel, A. & Lehmeyer, S. (Hrsg.). Springer Nature Living Reference Medicine. Ethik im Gesundheitswesen (827-849). Link zur DOI.
• Winter, D. (2025). Gegenwärtig und entzogen. Zur Grundsignatur der Offenbarung in der Geschichte. Internationale Katholische Zeitschrift Communio, 54(2025), 499–509. Link zur DOI.