Germany’s first ‘Faculty of Islamic Theology’

The University of Münster will become the first higher education institution in Germany to establish a Faculty of Islamic Theology, starting 1 July 2026. This marks a significant milestone for Islamic studies for Germany, aiming to increase both the visibility of the discipline and public tolerance toward Islamic scholarship. Professor Johannes Wessels, the Rector, highlighted the faculty as a symbol of recognition and inclusivity, while Professor Mouhanad Khorchide, the founding dean and former managing director of the Centre for Islamic Theology (CIT), emphasized its role in strengthening the university’s profile as a center of theological diversity and that “this step is an impressive signal of recognition for many Muslims in Germany”.

The new faculty will replace the CIT, which has operated as a research center since 2012, and will integrate its activities into a fully independent academic entity. The decision followed years of planning, involving consultations with the NRW State Ministry for Culture and Science, the university’s Senate, student bodies, and the Confessional Advisory Board for Islamic Theology. Operations at the faculty will commence in the winter semester of 2026/27, with eight professors (equally split by gender) teaching courses in areas such as Islamic philosophy and social work, serving approximately 450 enrolled students.

As a full-fledged faculty, it will enjoy greater academic and administrative autonomy, including developing its curriculum, conducting research independently, awarding doctoral degrees, and participating in faculty appointments. At the same time, the faculty must meet obligations such as program accreditation, student support, compliance with university statutes, and adherence to broader regulations like equal opportunity and data protection laws. The first faculty council will be elected in summer 2027 to guide governance and the founding dean’s term.

The Faculty of Islamic Theology will join Münster’s “Campus of Theology and Religious Studies” alongside Protestant and Catholic theological faculties, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue across science, politics, religion, media, and culture. The campus will also host one of the world’s largest research libraries on religion, solidifying Münster as a hub for theological scholarship. This creation is the first new faculty at the university in over two decades, following the University of Music’s establishment in 2004.

https://idw-online.de/en/news869626