Facing Ruptures and Entanglements of a Global World: A Contextual Theological View from Germany

Michael Schüßler; Eva Maria Daganato

Facing Ruptures and Entanglements of a Global World

A Contextual Theological View from Germany

Authors

Michael Schüßler University of Tübingen
Eva Maria Daganato

Keywords:

Decolonial Theology, Postcolonial Ethics, Tübingen, Human Rights Movements, Synodality

Abstract

The article reflects on the transformation of German Theology facing ruptures and entanglements of a global world. The first part deals with personal experiences in Manila and the global entanglement of human rights movements with European engagement and theology. This leads to a decolonial “provincial- ization” of German Theology. This change in the direction of doing theology and in ethical thinking is made clear by the example of the Tübingens Alfons-Auer-Ethic-Award given to the postcolonial scholar Leela Ghandi. Turning to the global Catholic Church, the last part discovers common concerns across the seemingly abyssal line between the North and the South. The theologically relevant lines of conflict apparently run across continents and geographic boundaries. To call the commitment to gender justice, diversity, and synodal power control in the church a Eurocentric luxury issue is thus proving obviously wrong.

Author Biographies

Michael Schüßler, University of Tübingen

Michael Schüßler is Full Professor of Practical Theology at the Catholic-Theological Faculty in Tübingen/Germany. He is interested in the transformation of church and society like cultural liquidation, digitalization, and facing the Anthropocene as well as in theological gender studies and decolonial thinking. From 2018-2020 he was dean of the faculty. Since 2021 he is a member of the advisory board platform “Global Encounters” at the University of Tübingen.

Eva Maria Daganato

Eva Maria Daganato works as a research assistant at the department of Practical Theology at the Catholic-Theological Faculty in Tübingen/Germany. She paused her Theology Studies for one year to volunteer for different NGOs in the Philippines. Afterwards she finished her studies and wrote her master thesis about a postcolonial perspective of religious education. For her doctoral project she is looking for methods to deal with Modern Slavery.

Facing Ruptures and Entanglements of a Global World: A Contextual Theological View from Germany