Students applying for the Master's program in (Extended) Ecumenical Studies or the Master's program in Biblical Studies who are interested in the ExStra Work-Study Grant choose a desired subject area and develop their own research questions. The following areas and research projects are available:

• Hebrew Bible Studies
  (Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Jan Dietrich and Prof. Dr. Markus Saur) 

  
  1. Anthropologies in the Ancient Near East and in the Hebrew Bible

  This project explores the parallels and differences in the concepts of the human being found in the cultures of the Ancient Near East (including Ancient Egypt) and in the writings of the Hebrew Bible and in extra-Biblical texts. In addition to researching concepts of the human being from an emic perspective using historical-critical methods, etic analyses and comparisons are also carried out using cultural, sociological, ethnological, psychological approaches and methods, as well as cognitive sciences and the history of ideas in order to better understand the developments, similarities, differences and meanings of the concepts of the human being in the respective ancient cultures.

  2. Debating Authority

  As part of this project, concepts and forms of rule as well as their transformations within the Hebrew Bible are examined. On the one hand, the project explores the connections between Old Testament royal ideologies and the Ancient Near Eastern world, and on the other hand, it explores the realignment of royal ideas after the fall of kingship, primarily in prophetic contexts and especially in the Book of Ezekiel. The book of Ezekiel, in addition to theocratic and messianic forms of thought, develops a newly formulated priestly concept of authority, in the context of which a ‘prince’ appears as a figure mediating between theocracy, messianism and priesthood.

  Admitted students will take part in the conception and implementation of the respective projects and will be involved in the ongoing research formats at the Department of Hebrew Bible studies, in particular in the „Ecumenical Society“ (Ökumenische Sozietät), in research-oriented advanced seminars (Oberseminar) and in meetings with international guest lectures.

• New Testament Studies
  

  (Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Hermut Löhr): 

  Students who have already successfully developed a special focus in the field of emerging Christianity and ancient Judaism will be involved in one of the following two research projects:

  1. An Archaeology of Jewish-Christian Morality

  The project explores the beginnings of Judeo-Christian morality in the ancient world. It does not - like classic handbooks on "New Testament ethics" - start from interests and questions of modernity or certain groups and institutions such as the churches, but instead uses a "topographical method" to ask about the recognizable places of moral conflicts and negotiation of standards. Other focal points of the work are a rhetorical analysis of the language of Judeo-Christian morality, as well as the investigation of the ethical and moral implications and explicitness of different genres. In doing so, Judaism and emerging Christianity are not viewed and contextualized as opposed, but as a differentiated cultural and ideological whole.

  2. Prayer in the Ancient World

  The aim of the project is to produce a handbook on prayer in antiquity that culturally looks at the Mediterranean area and the Near and Middle East, and chronologically encompasses the entire ancient world. In addition to the presentation and commentary of representative prayer texts, questions of ritual, rhetoric and the psychology of prayer are also considered. The project is an international cooperation with colleagues D. Falk and R. Werline (USA). At the Bonn site, the prayer of emerging Christianity up to the year 200 will be primarily dealt with.

  The funded students take part in the planning of the respective project; they support the project work (which is largely conducted in English) with literature research, correction work and participation in the organization of workshops and conferences. They will be invited to the meetings of the “Ökumenischen Neutestamentlichen Sozietät” and will thus gain valuable initial insights into current research projects and specialist discussions.

• Church History
  

  (Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Wolfram Kinzig): 

  The funded students will be involved in a research project at the chair of Prof. Dr. Wolfram Kinzig, which is part of the Cluster of Excellence "Beyond Slavery and Freedom", in which Prof. Kinzig is a Principal Investigator.

  “Dependency Structures in the Old and Early Medieval Church” 

  This project deals with dependency structures within the old and early medieval church and similar structures that connect the church of this period with the respective surrounding societies. In particular, it focuses, on the one hand, on teaching norms (such as definitions or confessions of faith) and their implementation and enforcement within the framework of establishing a theological orthodoxy, as well as, on the other hand, on ritual norms (such as Sunday observance) as a means of implementing dependency structures in the relationship between clergy and laity.  

  The funded students should support the work of the Principle Investigator through specific research tasks (processing sources, identification and procurement of secondary literature, etc.) and, if necessary, also through correction of English-language manuscripts.

• Practical Theology
  

  (Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Sabrina Müller):

  1. Participatory Citizen Science and the democratization of knowledge and research

  The project aims to actively engage citizens in the scientific research process. Through collaboration between academic experts and the general public, innovative approaches are to be developed that facilitate the generation and sharing of knowledge in a participatory manner. This project seeks to transcend traditional hierarchies in science and create an inclusive space for the exchange of ideas and insights.

  2. Postcolonial-queer Epistemologies for Power-sensitive Global Theologies

  The project engages with the question of how postcolonial and queer perspectives can contribute to deconstructing power structures in global theological discourses. By focusing on alternative forms of knowledge and practices, this project aims to challenge hegemonic narratives and create space for diverse voices and experiences. Through the integration of postcolonial and queer approaches into theological studies, a more inclusive and just theological landscape is envisioned, one that better reflects the complexity and diversity of human experiences.

  The supported students participate in planning sessions and assist the projects through targeted research and editorial tasks; they are also integrated into data collection and analysis, thus gaining familiarity with the field of Empirical Theology. Additionally, they are invited to participate in the practical-theological society, which collaborates with other universities, particularly on these topics.

• Religious Education
  

  (Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Hubertus Roebben): 

  "ChaPTheR – Children as Participants in Theological Research"
  In this project we internationally probe the theology of, with and for children, their “little theologies”, which they formulate and “live” in response to the great challenges of our time. In this, we focus on the collaborative dimension of research. Both in the design, planning, execution and evaluation of classroom implementations, children's participation is paramount. Pedagogical relationships and didactic processes are co-determined by them. We invite leading scholars from all over the world to share their research on this topic.

  Students will support the research work at the chair through research, organizational and editorial tasks.

If this description is a match to your profile and interests, we want you on our team, so please apply now!

Students interested in applying for the ExStra Work-Study Grant funding program must submit an online application for the Master's program in Ecumenical Studies or the Master's program in Biblical Studies on the University of Bonn Online Application Portal for Graduate Programs, as well as the following additional documents:

• A letter of motivation, in which up to three research questions pertaining to the areas above must be described in detail.
• A max. ten-page written sample which proves the students' ability to theoretically describe and interpret present and historical phenomena of Christian theology and culture, on the basis of the applicant´s previous studies. The written sample must be related to the area and research project of the ExStra Work-Study Grant you apply for. 

Please note: The written sample submitted for the ExStra Work-Study Grant will also be considered towards admission into the MESt/MEESt and MBSt. 

Gender equality aspects
The University of Bonn is committed to diversity and equal opportunity. It is certified as a family-friendly university and aims to increase the number of women employed in areas where women are under-represented and to promote their careers. To that end, we urge women with relevant qualifications to apply – we would love to have you in our program!