Departments, Centers und Institutes

At the Department of Religious Studies (RWS), academics and students research religious ideas and practices in the past and present. A characteristic feature of the Zurich Department of Religious Studies is that historical and sociological approaches are consistently related to each other and reflected upon theoretically.

At the Department of Theology (ThS), academics and students deal with the question of God in all its facets: The biblical and theological foundations of Christianity, its historical and contemporary forms in culture, society and the church are examined using scientific methods.

The Center for Church Development (ZKE) deals with questions of church development, lived religion, digital theology and parish development in a scientifically sound and practically relevant manner. The ZKE thus acts as an interface between university research and church implementation.

The Institute of Social Ethics deals with questions of theological ethics as well as problems of theoretical and applied ethics in research and teaching. Its original focus was on business ethics, but it has since expanded to include political ethics, environmental ethics and medical ethics. The Institute’s work today is characterized by the combination of fundamental ethical reflection and practical issues.

The Institute for Swiss Reformation Studies was established on October 1, 1964. Its main purpose is to research the Reformation in Switzerland with a focus on Huldrych Zwingli, Heinrich Bullinger and Anabaptism.

At the Institute for Hermeneutics and Philosophy of Religion, the prerequisites, criteria and procedures of theology are reflected upon and the methodological instruments that are of central importance for today’s theological discourse with society, culture and the sciences are examined.

The Center for Religion, Economy and Politics (ZRWP) is a joint institution of various Swiss universities. In research and teaching, it addresses religion in its interactions with business and politics. The guiding principle is an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approach. The ZRWP offers a Joint Masters Degree Program in Religion - Economy - Politics (in German). Contact with a wide public is maintained through various science-to-public events.