Faculty of Philosophy Religious Studies
Astrology is more popular than ever, mindfulness has become part of everyday life, and digital religious communities are emerging on social media. While the practice of “manifesting” promises control over your life through the right mindset, transhumanists dream of overcoming human limitations and achieving immortality. Artificial intelligence, environmental crises, and popular culture create new sources of meaning and address the big questions in life. At the same time, membership numbers in Christian churches in Germany are declining while Christianity is growing globally and Islam shapes societal debates.
What is Religious Studies?
In Religious Studies, we examine precisely these kinds of developments and associated questions. We explore religions, spirituality, and related social phenomena from a cultural studies perspective, investigating their meaning to individuals and societies. The goal is not to adopt a particular religious viewpoint, but to conduct research from an outside perspective, eliminating as much bias as possible. The program teaches a range of theories and methods for analyzing the social realities of religions and their actors, focusing on religious ideas, rituals, material expressions, and their interactions with society.
Interdisciplinary Approaches and Areas of Focus in Heidelberg
Religious Studies draws on various disciplines such as Anthropology, Sociology, Political Science, and Media Studies. At the Institute for Religious Studies in Heidelberg, a close link between research and teaching is particularly important. Students can pursue their own areas of interest and actively shape their studies. In addition to theoretical foundations, they acquire language skills and methodological competence.
What Makes Studying in Heidelberg Special?
The Institute offers courses in both German and English, creating an intercultural environment that perfectly complements the global approach of Religious Studies. Moreover, students can take courses in related disciplines such as Japanese Studies, History, Anthropology, Archaeology, or Transcultural Studies, as well as many other fields, allowing them to discover new regional, historical, and theoretical perspectives.
Our Areas of Focus are:
- Study of regional histories of religion and contemporary religion, as well as their interactions with modernization processes; especially in Europe, Japan, and the USA
- Current religious developments, e.g. transformations in contemporary global Buddhism
- Mindfulness, psychotherapy, popular culture, and museums as sites of self-cultivation
- Technology, artificial intelligence, environmental movements, and popular culture
- Future visions: transhumanism and space colonization
- Astrology and the transformation of modern spiritualities
Our theoretical foundation is based on the notion that religion is not only understood intellectually but also experienced sensually. Religious actors encounter their religion through rituals, special objects, and bodily practices. A key approach in this context is “Material Religion.” It explores the ways in which religion is expressed in material things, not only through objects like images or rituals, but also through aesthetic, social, and cognitive arrangements that shape religious experience.
We take gender differences in religious ideas, practices, and material expressions into account as well, including their social dynamics. To better understand these, we critically and creatively incorporate theories from postcolonialism, intersectionality, and critical race theory.
On our blog , we publish our current findings on the interconnected developments of religion, new technologies, and media.
Career opportunities
There is no fixed career path for graduates of Religious Studies. Their expertise is valued in many areas, including:
- Public advisory services on questions regarding religion
- Adult education
- Diversity management
- Integration work
- Journalism and publishing
- Tourism and tour guiding
- Policy advising in political institutions
- Exhibition and conference organization
- Museums and cultural institutions
- Research and academia
Graduates of Religious Studies are especially in demand where complex relationships between religion, culture, and society need to be analyzed and communicated. The specific career path depends on individual study interests and areas of focus.
Insights
Majoring in Religious Studies makes it possible to look at religions, social traditions and also religious-type structures from an academic standpoint, and to analyse them accordingly. We choose the areas we want to specialise in ourselves and Heidelberg University offers the opportunity of planning our programme with a great deal of diversity.
Fabienne S. Laval, 21, Religious Studies 75%, 3rd semester Bachelor
