About Us
The University of Bonn offers the ideal parameters for theological and religion-oriented research and teaching. Since 2009, both the Faculties of Protestant and Catholic Theology have shared a theological library and often work side-by-side.
Research Areas
The Faculty of Protestant Theology offers research and academic studies in Old Testament, New Testament, Church History, Systematic Theology, Practical Theology (incl. Religious Education), and Intercultural Theology. In addition, the Institute for Hermeneutics, The Ecumenical Institute, The Protestant Institute for Religious Education of Bonn, and The Center for Religion and Society all emphasize interdisciplinary studies.
Study Programs
The Faculty offers, in addition to the two majors which prepare students to enter the ministry or teaching fields, a Bachelor of Protestant Theology and Hermeneutics (“Evangelische Theologie und Hermeneutik”), a Master of Protestant Theology (“Evangelische Theologie”), and two English-language Master programs in Biblical Studies and Ecumenical Studies.
200+
Years
70+
Faculty Members
600+
Students
History
After the founding of the University by the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III in 1818, the Faculty of Protestant Theology came into being one year later in 1819.
Founding
Founding members were, among others, Friedrich Lücke, Karl Heinrich Sack, and Carl Immanuel Nitzsch.
Through Nitzsch, the department became a prominent place for mediation theology in its early days.
Nitzsch is furthermore known as the “rheinischer Kirchenvater” (Church Father of the Rhineland).
Karl Barth
Particularly of note is the teaching position held by Karl Barth between the years 1930 and 1935.
During this time the department was the centre of theological resistance against the ecclesiopolitical wave of the “German Christians.”
Consequently, the department was the target of state despotism and suffered a demolition almost unparalleled in any other academic body in Germany. They lost most of their members including Karl Barth, Karl Ludwig Schmidt, Ernst Fuchs, Fritz Lieb, Ernst Wolf, Wilhelm Goeters, and Hans Emil Weber.
Further literature
Please note that the following literature is only available in German.
- Heiner Faulenbach (ed.), Album Professorum der Evangelisch-Theologischen Fakultät der Universität Bonn 1818-1933, Academica Bonnensia, Bd.10, Bonn 1995.
- idem, Die Evangelisch-Theologische Fakultät Bonn: Sechs Jahrzehnte aus ihrer Geschichte seit 1945, Göttingen 2009.
Get to Know the Faculty
How to Find Us
The Faculty of Protestant Theology is located in the building Rabinstraße 8, and in the building An der Schloßkirche 2-4, which also houses the Theological Library.
In the Rabinstraße you will find the Dean’s Office (5th floor) and Examination Office (3rd floor) as well as most of the department members of the faculty. Other faculty members have their offices in the buildings An der Schlosskirche 2-4 and Am Hofgarten 8.
Lectures and seminars take place both in the building Rabinstraße 8 in the seminar rooms on the ground floor and in the old main building Am Hof 1.
In the old main building, the seminar rooms are located in the so-called Protestant Theological Seminary, whose entrance door is secured with a code lock. As a student, you will receive the code every semester in a circular email from the Dean of Studies Office.
How to really find us
The Examination Office is located in the building Rabinstraße 8, room 3.122.
The offices of the faculty members are located not only in the building Rabinstraße 8 (third floor), but also in the building of the Theology Library (An der Schlosskirche 2-4, second and third floor) and Am Hofgraten 8 (third-party funded projects, upper floors).
You will find the lecture halls in the old main building, Am Hof 1, first and second floor. Lecture hall 1 is located on the ground floor.
- Lecture hall II – IX: side of the Hofgarten, 1st floor
- Lecture hall X – XIII: city side, 1st floor
- Lecture hall XIV – XVI: city side, 2nd floor
Seminar rooms are located in the new building in the Rabinstraße, ground floor and third floor.
The theological library can be found in a separate building next to the main building. The address is “An der Schlosskirche 2-4”.
Equal Opportunity
The University of Bonn is committed to diversity and equal opportunity. It is certified as a family-friendly university and aims to increase the number of women employed in areas where women are under-represented and to promote their careers. To that end, we urge women with relevant qualifications to apply – we would love to have you on our team!
Organization
At the Faculty of Protestant-Theology, there are 5 departments and 2 institutes. The head of the Faculty is the Dean in cooperation with the Faculty Council (Fakultätsrat), representing the Faculty members.
Departments
Every main theological discipline has a specific department at our Faculty.
Institutes
In addition to the departments, the two institutes allow for additional specialisation.
Professorships
In the following you will find an overview of our Faculty's professors.
- Prof. Dr. Jan Dietrich (OT)
- Prof. Dr. Markus Saur (OT)
- Prof. Dr. Hermut Löhr (NT)
- Jun.-Prof. Dr. Jan Rüggemeier (NT)
- Prof. Dr. Martin Keßler (CH)
- Prof. Dr. Wolfram Kinzig (CH)
- Prof. Dr. Matthias Braun (ST)
- Prof. Dr. Cornelia Richter (ST)
- Prof. Dr. Folkart Wittekind (ST)
- Prof. Dr. Eberhard Hauschildt (PT)
- Prof. Dr. Sabrina Müller (PT)
Cooperation
Find out about our different cooperation partners. The Protestant Theological Faculty of the University of Bonn cooperates not only with the Protestant Theological Faculty of the University of Cologne but also with international and interdisciplinary partners.
Find out more
We value our many international partnerships with other faculties of Protestant theology. Details will follow soon.
The Protestant Theological Faculty of the University of Bonn cooperates with the Protestant Theological Institute of the University of Cologne, especially in the training of teachers.
Since 2008, both the Protestant and Catholic Theological faculties have shared a theological library.
There are a lot of members of our faculty who also work for the Centre for Religion and Society.
At the „Bonner evangelisches Institut für berufsorientierte Religionspädagogik“ (bibor) the faculty contributes to research on connections between religious and professional didactics.
The Faculty of Protestant Theology is supported by the association „Freunde der Evangelisch-Theologischen Fakultät Bonn – Rheinische Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Theologie e.V.“.
The Adolf-Clarenbach-Haus (ACH) offers students a hall of residence during their studies of Protestant theology.
Downloads
Find out more about topics that are of great importance to the Faculty of Protestant Theology (PDF files, translation coming soon).
If you have further questions, please contact the Dean's Office. We look forward to hearing from you!
Contact
See also
Departments
Old Testament, New Testament, Church History, Systematic Theology, Practical Theology – get to know our departments.
Research
Get an overview of the current research projects and research priorities of the people and subjects in our faculty.
People
Find out who the employees at our faculty are and find the contact persons you are looking for.