Cultural History of Christianity
Cultural History of Christianity (B.A.)
Are you interested in the function and social as well as historical significance of sacred works of art? How religious practices were changed and influenced by the interpretation of Christian theologians? Or what the relics of late antiquity or early Christianity said about the politics of the time? Then you have come to the right place! Discover the world of Christian-influenced European culture and Oriental Christianity.
- Degree
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
- Duration of studies in semester
- 6
- Start of degree program
- Winter semester
- Study location
- Erlangen
- Number of students
- 1-50
- Subject group
- Art, Art Sciences, Language and Cultural Studies
- Special ways to study
- 2-subject Bachelor, Part-time degree program
- Teaching language
- completely in German
- Admission Requirements
- No Admissions Restrictions
What is the degree program about?
Society, art, literature and politics were already closely intertwined in the Middle Ages – with Christianity as the foundation. In the study program Cultural History of Christianity, sources and phenomena of the Christian-influenced European culture and oriental Christianity are developed, interpreted and historically classified. The study imparts basic knowledge of the history of Christianity of over 2000 years.
For example, we ask ourselves questions about the dimensions of meaning of religious practices, for example in liturgy. The sacral function, but also the political explosive power, of Christian works of art is examined. What biblical content is used in these objects? What do the artistic and literary relics of this time say about society and politics? By which important theologians, mystics or other chroniclers were biblical interpretations influenced and how did these changes affect religious practices? How is the development of Christianity to be understood against the background of the disintegrating late Roman Empire? Understanding communication, interaction, and media representations of Christianity also requires a good scholarly knowledge of the origin, content, and structure of the Bible.
In short, the course provides an overview of the most important cultural achievements of Christianity in a historical perspective. The content offered, which consists of six theological sub-subjects, makes clear the important role played by theology: Early Church History, Modern Church History, Christian Archaeology and Art History, History and Theology of the Christian East, Old Testament and New Testament.
-
The first study phase consists of basic modules. The second study phase consists of in-depth modules. The last semester is available for the bachelor thesis.
-
Study contents:
- Older church history
- Modern Church History
- Christian Archaeology and Iconography
- History and Theology of the Christian East
- Old Testament
- New Testament
-
- Interest in the historically oriented theological sub-disciplines
- Willingness to deal with the content, structure and study of the Bible
- Basic interest in Christian culture and its historical development
- The willingness to work on scientific texts and to write them yourself
- The open-mindedness towards and interest in historical-theological questions and contents
-
The enumeration of career opportunities can only provide a limited insight. Moreover, since Cultural History of Christianity is a very young course of study, no concrete professional profile has yet emerged. By providing training in a variety of skill areas and by fostering communication and reflective skills, graduates of Cultural History of Christianity can gain a foothold in many fields outside the discipline. As a general rule, students should seek information as early as possible from the academic advisor and contact persons from their own program of study about the respective prerequisites (BA, MA, PhD) for a particular career field.
- Museum Assistance
- Exhibition curation
- Information processing
- Documentation
- Library and publishing
- Journalism and editorial work
- Adult education
- In the intercultural field at the intersection of business, politics and culture
- Tourism industry
- Public relations
- In national or international institutions
- Research and teaching
-
- You should be interested in history and cultural history if you wish to study Cultural History of Christianity. Denominational affiliation or religiosity is not expected.
- The study of the Cultural History of Christianity is also a study of Old and New Testament scholarship, i.e. the Bible.
-
Degree program combinations
- Art History
- Business and Economics
- English and American Studies
- French Roman Studies
- German studies
- Greek Philology
- History
- Indo-European and Indo-Iranian Studies
- Islamic Religious Studies
- Italian Romance Studies
- Japanese Studies
- Latin Philology
- Medieval Latin and Neo-Latin
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Scandinavian Studies (BA)
- Sociology
- Theater and Media Studies
Das Lehrangebot dieser Kombination ist so aufeinander abgestimmt, dass die Fächer in der Regel überschneidungsfrei miteinander kombiniert werden können.
Limited degree program combinations
- Book Studies
- Chinese Studies
- Computational Linguistics
- Digital Humanities and Social Sciences
- Education
- Geography: Cultural Geography
- Hispanic Studies
- Oriental Studies
Diese Kombination kann nur nach einer diesbezüglichen Studienberatung studiert werden. Die Überschneidungsfreiheit kann jedoch nicht garantiert werden. Die Studierenden tragen selbst die Verantwortung für die Studierbarkeit der Kombination und die Einhaltung der Fristen des § 10. Der Nachweis einer Studienberatung ist bei der Immatrikulation vorzulegen.
-
- Admission requirements (first semester)
- No Admissions Restrictions
- Application deadline winter semester
-
30.09.
Language skills
- German language skills for international applicants
- DSH 2 or equivalent
- General language skills
-
Nachweis ausreichender Kenntnisse in mindestens 2 Fremdsprachen (darunter Englisch) bis zum Ende des 4. Semesters
- Details and notes
-
The application deadline for the winter semester for international applicants is July 15th.
In addition to the general qualification for university entrance (Abitur), there are other access options for studying at FAU.
Do you need help or more information?
Our Student Advice and Career Service (IBZ) is the central point of contact for all questions about studying and starting a degree programme. Our Student Service Centres and subject advisors support you in planning your studies.