Research

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28,19). This biblical passage remains the very foundation of all Christian missions to which women both in biblical and church history have been part off. Establishment of contact and personal interaction are fundamental pillars of Christian Mission. The research field of “Mission History” explores the diversity of Christian missionary work from the beginning of Christian faith to the present time. Mission takes place in intercultural contact zones and refers to the status of missionaries in an intermediate space: between Europe and the global south, between perspectives on colonialism and intercultural encounters, between confrontation with poverty and proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God. The research project reflects on the role of Christian Mission in the historical processes of globalisation focusing on the female und local protagonists. By analysing archives, articles, letters and records of missionary sisters, the project attempts to answer core questions in feminist mission studies:

– What is the specific task of female missionaries in the Catholic Church?
– How are understanding and practises of mission shaped by intercultural encounters?
– Is the self-conception of being a woman within the Catholic Church biased by interactions with the women in the local community?
– How do views, experiences and challenges of missionary sisters contribute to a holistic understanding of mission?

Migration is a worldwide phenomenon that brings together people of all nations and, of course, may imply difficulties of coexistence. On the other hand there is a big chance especially for the Church to rediscover God’s call of forming one people without borders. In this context the IWM’s research on Mission and Migration is focusing on the challenges and opportunities that arise from migration inside the local churches. How can they answer God’s call and become a ferment of real brotherhood in society?

Research project: The Worldwide Church in Germany (germ.)

The well-known words of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) show an important connection between the missionary mandate of the church and its educational task. Therefore, the research field „Mission and Education“ focuses on this reciprocal relationship: Which concept of education can we, for example, find in the church documents of the past and present? What´s the main reason for the educational work of the global church – still an attempt to spread the Christian faith or the commitment for an universal human right? This are just some of the key questions for a new approach regarding the meaning of education in the radically changed context of mission today.

Research project: The Concept of Education in the Context of Mission (germ.)