Page - 209 - in Limina - Grazer theologische Perspektiven, Volume 4:2

Call for Papers – LIMINA 6:1 (Spring 2023) Future(s) of Theology Between ecclesial demands, societal expectations and academic frameworks LIMINA Grazer theologische Perspektiven | 4:2, 2021 | www.limina-graz.eu Theology is experiencing a re-examination of its role as an academic dis- cipline. Precisely at a time of evident yet ambivalent religious revival and the emergence of new spiritualities, signalling a profound need for purpose and symbols, theological discourse appears to have lost its intellectual and cultural relevance. The factors driving these uncertainties are manifold: Societal as well as educational policy changes, new demands posed by religious pluralism and the diversity in worldviews, questions with regard to the positioning of theology within academia and particularly in relation to the humanities, as well as a purported ‘lack of relevance’ according to various stakeholders. Furthermore, there is a growing tension between independent academic theology on the one hand and requirements and expectations raised by the Church on the other. Universities also record a declining trend in stu- dent numbers taking up theology. In the face of these challenges, theology has to reflect on its established understanding as a discipline in order to (re)think and (re)structure itself as a vital voice that resonates in today’s world as well as in the future . Theology faculties can almost seem like anachronistic relics in a modern landscape of knowledge acquisition and transfer. Yet they are also an im- portant reminder of the origins of academia and the integral concept of education based on intellectual self-discovery. However, if theology is to fulfil a contemporary function beyond that of historic memory, it has to re-examine its role and relationships within the shifting contexts as out- lined above. What are the specific academic characteristics that distinguish it from the human and cultural sciences? Does the future of theology lie in Translation: Dagmar Astleitner MA PRISM Translations, London