Wir interessieren uns dafür, wie und wo das Evangelium die (je zeitgenössische) Kultur beeinflusst und wie die Kultur auf das Evangelium reagiert.
Gottes universale Sendung findet in je partikularen Kontexten statt. Ein missionales Verständnis von Kontexten und ein kontextuelles Verstehen von Mission, der Selbstsendung Gottes und der Sendung der Kirche, gehen für uns Hand in Hand.
Empirische Forschung bereichert unsere theologische Forschung und unsere theologische Forschung schärft unsere empirischen Kategorien und Fragestellungen. Mit der Integration verschiedener Forschungsmethoden erarbeiten wir möglichst präzise Kritik bisheriger Ansätze und Ideen für neue Lösungen.
Der Bezug universitärer Forschung und Lehre zur Kirche und kirchlicher Praxis zu theologischer Forschung bildet das Grundanliegen vieler unserer Fragestellungen und unser »normatives Commitment«.
Gemäß des Priestertums aller Gläubigen/Getauften fragen wir nach der gemeinsamen Arbeit Haupt- und Ehrenamtlicher. Gerade zur Befähigung und Bevollmächtigung (»empowerment«) Haupt- und Ehrenamtlicher zur gemeinsamen Arbeit wollen wir durch unsere Forschungen beitragen.
What are the relationships between the gospel and culture and how can missional and contextual communication of the gospel be understood? What research perspectives does the design of applied theology open against the background of church practice and contemporary challenges?
Based on the theological concepts of Missio Dei, an interdisciplinary team works on topics of church theory, regional church and parish development, innovative and context-sensitive expressions of the church, vital communities and discipleship in research and teaching.
The work of the research center is also expressed in the evaluation of innovative and exploratory church programs, the development of new study programs, the implementation of summer and winter schools and the offer of long-term continued education and training. The work takes place from an ecumenical and transnational perspective, which is expressed, among other things, in national and international cooperation.
The MKG builds on the topics and projects of the ‘Research Institute of Evangelization and Church Development’ (IEEG) at the University of Greifswald (2004-2022) and develops them further within the horizon of Christian empowerment (as enabling and authorizing people). In addition to the MKG, the Austrian Institute for Research of Mission and Church (IMK) also follows on from the work of the IEEG.
The work of the research center, which is financed exclusively by third-party funds, is supported by the Association for the Promotion of Research into Evangelism and Church Development (FEEG e.V.), the Deichmann Foundation, the Protestant Church in Central Germany (EKM), the Evangelical Lutheran Church – Regional Church of Saxony (EVLKS) and the Missionary Services Association (AMD).
The MKG research center provides scientific support to various regional church funding programs for new and innovative projects and, against this background, also deals with overarching theological and evaluation-theoretical questions.
Under the term ‘regional church development’ we explore the intentional connection between regional planning and local organization of church and community life.
The MKG organizes conferences at which academic research and church practice as well as innovative cooperation formats come into play.
In addition to university courses at the Theological Faculty at the Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, the MKG research unit organizes excursions and study trips abroad. Summer and winter schools, continued education and training and lectures are also among the teaching and exchange formats we regularly organize and carry out.
The MKG’s research is reflected in book publications, such as the Mission and Context series, which is published by the Evangelische Verlagsanstalt in Leipzig.
We are also happy to provide some resources for free exploration or collaboration, or point out materials that we find helpful.
The MKG research unit works at the CES and at the Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg as well as with numerous partners to implement various research projects and teaching formats.
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