This Festschrift in honor of Perry Schmidt-Leukel on the occasion of his seventieth birthday brings together essays that constructively engage with his erudite and wide-ranging contributions to the fields of Theology of Religions, Interreligious Theology, Philosophy of Religion, Buddhist and Religious Studies, Buddhist-Christian Relations, and Interreligious Dialogue.

Based on current religious constitutional law, Arnulf von Scheliha and Hinnerk Wißmann discuss the necessity and options for a future-proof further development of religious education in schools, which will do justice to the growing religious plurality as well as the religious development of the pupils.

Should research on human embryos be allowed or banned? Using the example of embryo research in the USA, the book analyzes how religious actors participate in the public discourse around biopolitics an how they influence legal regulations. more...

The religious power of Christianity and the churches is on the wane in Germany and Western Europe. As a social power, however, Christianity remains a relevant social factor. Charismatic personalities founded social organisations in the 19th century that still form the backbone of independent welfare work in Germany today. Moreover, many special features of the German welfare state, such as the central role of social insurance, cannot be explained without looking at the denominations and their plurality. More...

Spain is a region that has long been neglected in European history. Britt Schlünz analyses - in the interplay between centre and periphery, between Madrid, Catalonia, the Vatican and the colony of Cuba - the conflict-ridden Spanish secularisation of the 19th century. Her study focuses on the clerical actors and contributes to the understanding of the key conflicts and central phenomena of the century in Europe: the possibilities of adaptation of the religious field, the formation of liberalism and the processes of decolonisation. Read more...

In the search for the right relationship between Protestantism and democracy, the parliamentary activity of German theologians suggests that they were and are particularly challenged to synthesise their religious convictions with the democratic idea. Continue reading...

"Secularization" is an important and controversial term for the self-understanding of Western societies - it refers to both the disappearance of religion in modernity and its transformation. Daniel Weidner shows how secularization was discussed in the 20th century and how central these considerations were for philosophical, theological, sociological and cultural self-understanding. read more...