Presentation and Communication in the Spirit of Christ. Foundations of Protestant Media Ethics for the Digital Age

• Applicant: Privatdozent Dr. Constantin Plaul
• Subject Area: Protestant Theology
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 545058893

The primary aim of this publishing endeavor is to render my extensive research on the foundation of Protestant media ethics in the digital age accessible to the academic community in the form of a monograph. Published under the distinguished series "Perspektiven der Ethik" by Mohr Siebeck, the book will manifest as a mix of a traditional print edition and an open-access e-book (fort he rationale cf. below). The vast interest of the academic community results from the groundbreaking nature of this systematic theological foundation of media ethics within the theological domain. Previous studies to media ethics in theology have yielded numerous contributions on distinct media phenomena, a coherent framework encompassing these diverse contributions has yet to be articulated. Questions concerning the very nature of 'media' and 'media action,' their intersection with ethical reflection, the implications of approaching this reflection from an ethical-theological standpoint, and the correlation with contemporary non-theological perspectives in media studies, sociology, philosophy, and ethics had remained largely unexplored. Amidst the accelerated transformation of the media lands cape during this era of extensive digitization, addressing these inquiries has become more imperative than ever. Complementary to the primary objective, secondary goals of this publication project is to advance the scientific and professionalization process of media-ethical reflexivity in theology. This involves rectifying the aforementioned deficiency in delineating the context of media-ethical questions. For disciplines beyond theology, this endeavor pro mises an enriching interdisciplinary dialogue, fostering a multi-perspective approach to the intricate domain of media ethical reflection.

• DFG Programme: Publication Grants