Master of Comparative Theological Studies

About The Event
Master of Comparative Theological Studies
Call for Applications
International Center for Comparative Theology and Social Issues (CTSI), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
Starting Date: October 1, 2025
Application Deadline: September 30, 2025
Engage in a transformative academic journey that integrates scholarly rigor and interfaith understanding.
The Master (M.A.) of Comparative Theological Studies at the International Center for Comparative Theology and Social Issues (CTSI) in the University of Bonn provides an in-depth education in the theological traditions of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. This research-focused program equips students with the critical tools and methodologies necessary for advanced comparative theological work while fostering the ability to address complex interreligious and intercultural questions with intellectual depth and sensitivity. Applications are possible from now on for the next academic year, which starts in October 2025.
About the Program
Students acquire:
- Advanced Theological Expertise: The curriculum builds on deep foundational knowledge, focusing on current research questions and engaging with systematic, exegetical, historical, and practical theology.
- Methodological and Analytical Competencies: Learn to independently expand their academic insights through rigorous research strategies and methodologies, with a particular focus on the hermeneutics of interreligious engagement.
- Key Professional Skills: Develop the capacity for critical application of scholarly methods in professional practice and learn to responsibly address emerging challenges in an evolving religious and cultural landscape.
The program prepares graduates to work in academia, interfaith organizations, and other settings where theological and cultural learning is essential. The MA also helps the students prepare for a PhD in Comparative Theology.
The program in Comparative Theological Studies provides foundational expertise in Christian, Islamic, and Jewish theology, covering key fields relevant to interfaith engagement. The program goes beyond theoretical learning, integrating systematic, exegetical, historical, and practical theology through the specialized methodology of Comparative Theology. Students gain the necessary tools to conduct comparative research, facilitating interreligious understanding.
What is Comparative Theology?
It is a new approach in theology, where the followers of a religion open themselves up to a systematic encounter with the theology of a different religion, in order to intensify, rectify, reinterpret, recover the teachings and practices of their own religion, or even appropriate certain parts of another theology to better understand or formulate their own theologies. Special care should be taken that this encounter and reconstruction is methodologically sound. Comparative Theology takes place within the confessional lines of a particular religion in openness toward the other.
Due to its special composition of students from different religions and cultures, the methodological competences, attitudes and forms of learning theoretically based on comparative theology are at the same time performatively implemented in the implementation of the acquisition of knowledge. In this way, attitudes and competencies such as vulnerability, awareness of fallibility and contingency, taking perspectives and empathy are practiced through the design of the courses.
The prospective diverse student body—representing various religious and cultural backgrounds—creates a collaborative learning environment where differences are valued. It targets students from Islamic contexts, as its focus on modern theological methods and interreligious dialogue appeals to them, offering new approaches to theology rooted in Western academic standards. The program also addresses the gaps in knowledge about Islamic and Jewish theology often found among Christian theologians, equipping graduates to thrive in today’s multireligious societies. The program is offered by the CTSI, which has strong international connections in corroborating and expanding theological learning.
Possibilities for Adapting to Special Situations
- In-person and Hybrid Options: The in-person learning environment fosters community and direct interaction, while hybrid and digital alternatives accommodate international students.
- Tailored Learning Paths: Courses accommodate diverse levels of prior theological expertise, offering opportunities for both introductory and advanced engagement.
Program Highlights
- A Focus on Interreligious Dialogue: Engage with students and faculty from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds, fostering empathy, perspective-taking, and mutual understanding.
- A Global Reputation for Excellence: The CTSI has established strong international connections, enabling students to participate in cutting-edge research and facilitating entry into prestigious doctoral programs.
- Career Preparation for Multireligious Settings: Graduates are well-prepared to address the growing need for experts who can navigate the challenges of multicultural and multireligious societies.
Career Opportunities
- Academia and Research: Conduct groundbreaking research in Comparative Theology or teach in universities worldwide.
- Religious and Cultural Organizations: Work as interfaith dialogue officers, cultural consultants, or leaders in NGOs addressing religious pluralism.
- Policy and Advisory Roles: Advise governments, businesses, and organizations on ethical and religious matters.
Additionally, graduates are equipped to contribute to the development of Islamic theology in Europe and the USA, filling a growing need for scholars in this field.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- A Bachelor’s degree (equivalent to 240 CPT) in the fields of Catholic Theology, Protestant Theology, Islamic Theology/Islamic Studies, Jewish Theology/Judaic Studies, Religious Studies, or a related discipline.
- Proficiency in an ancient language (e.g., Latin, Greek, Hebrew, or Arabic), ensuring engagement with primary theological texts.
- Advanced English proficiency, under the terms of the Common European Framework of Reference for language (CEFR), with a minimum CEFR level B2 or comparable accomplishments in one of the following language tests: TOEFL (a minimum of 72 in iBT, and 533 in PBT), IELTS (5,5). (Applicants are exempt, if they can show that they have achieved the matriculation standard for a university from an English-speaking school and/or the completion of a university degree in a program conducted at least partially in the English language. Exceptions are brought before the examination board.)
The program welcomes students from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds, ensuring a rich and dynamic learning environment. Submit your application via the application portal before 30 September 2025. The portal will open on 6 January 2025. The applications will be evaluated as soon as they are received. International students requiring a visa to travel to Germany are encouraged to submit their applications until 15 February 2025.
Contact Information
For more information about the program or application process, please contact: ctsi@uni-bonn.de or +49 228 73621-62
More information on: International Center for Comparative Theology and Social Issues
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