Encountering theologies in the context of migration – theologies of migrant churches

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Gregor Etzelmüller; Dr. Claudia Rammelt
• Subject Area: Protestant Theology
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 495165813

There are more than 10 million Christians from a migrant background living in Germany, most of whom express their faith in so-called migrant churches. These churches have rightly been called the ‘neglected orphan' of the academic research on religion and migration. The theologies embedded in the life world (Lebenswelt) of the migrant churches have not yet been recorded and analyzed in an academic way. The research project, located at the interface of ecumenical and intercultural theology, aims at analyzing and comparing the theologies of two migrant churches (Vietnamese-Protestant communities in Lower Saxony and Syrian-Orthodox communities in North Rhine-Westphalia) and their transformations in the transition from the first to the second and third generation. In encountering people from these migrant churches, the project will (1.) gain knowledge about the theologies of migrant churches, (2.) evaluate these theologies with the help of the theological loci method and (3.) interpret the theologies of the migrant churches as an enriching challenge to academic theology. By consistently turning to the theologies of migration churches, the project is breaking new ground in the research on migration and religion.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants