Johann Michael Sailer (1751-1832) and his interdenominational "Circles". A new description of the theology-generating potential of these "epicenters" concerning theory construction and practice of practical theology

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Peter Scheuchenpflug
• Subject Area: Roman Catholic Theology
• Term: from 2016 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 320296838

Johann Michael Sailer, who was called by Pope John Paul II as doctor of the Church in Europe, is a central figure in the history of pastoral theology as well as in the ecclesial practice of the late 18th and early 19th Century. The sustainability and wide dissemination of his innovative theological approaches about the Catholic Church in Germany, Austria and Switzerland also was forced by the different circles or schools in which these new perspectives have been taken up and been developed. For a practical-theological ecclesiology, therefore, it could be a profit to make an accurate analysis of the enormous potential of these circles. The result could be a discovery of the perspective narrowing of the perception of the Catholic church in the named period as well as an inspiration for current practical-theological challenges. The Sailer-circles were indeed discussed in the previous Sailer-research in many cases, but on closer inspection blind spots will appear: So, first, the role of the laity in these circles is insufficiently reflected; in the more recent past there were instructive editions of diverse sources, which have to be integrated in a complete overview. Secondly, women were involved in these interdenominational circles, but their contribution to the practical-theological reorientation remains hidden! Here it proves to be indispensable to review with the help of gender studies the already described themes. Additional it is necessary to render sources accessible e.g. the corpus of the letters from Johann Michael Sailer to Eleonore Auguste zu Stolberg-Wernigerode (about 400 letters) and to do a synopsis concerning the Sailer-studies. The profit of such a synopsis could be a essentially sophisticated view on this interdenominational development of practical theological theory and practice.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants