IIMF Annual Conference 2026 in cooperation with the Academy of the Diocese of Mainz

Beyond Schmidlin – Key Figures in Catholic Missiology and Their Topics
Since the Beginning of the 20th Century

December 4 and 5, 2026

Venue: Conference Center Erbacher Hof, Grebenstrasse 24-26, 55116 Mainz/Germany

Organizer: IIMF e.V. (International Institute for Missiological Research)

The content was prepared by IWM Director Prof. DDr. Markus Luber SJ, Prof. Dr. Christoph Nebgen of Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, and Father Mag. Christian Tauchner SVD, of the Steyler Institute for Mission Studies in Sankt Augustin.

Conference Languages: English and German

Theme:

The 150th anniversary of Joseph Schmidlin’s birth invites us to reflect on the origins of Catholic mission studies. The name Schmidlin is closely associated with the establishment of the IIMF and the chair in missiology at the University of Münster. However, this conference will also specifically examine other figures and topics that, within this historical context, have played a role that has received less attention to date and that, at the same time, highlight the decidedly “diverse” approaches and motivations of the actors involved regarding the function and methods of missiology. In doing so, the historical context of missions will be outlined, while at the same time postcolonial perspectives will be explored

IAPT – Biennial Conference 2027

(Con)tested Knowledge: Production, Formation, and Deconstruction.

April 1-5, 2027

Venue: University of Tübingen (Liebermeisterstr. 12, 72076 Tübingen, Germany),

Organizer: 

International Academy of Practical Theology (IAPT)

Knowledge is multifaceted: it is produced in many places, it has many different contexts, follows different rules, and it is created and shared among individuals, groups and societies. At the same time, prevailing understandings of knowledge have often been shaped by Eurocentric epistemologies that are historically entangled with colonial and imperial power structures. Feminist, ecological, post- and decolonial scholarship has therefore emphasized the need to interrogate dominant epistemic frameworks and to attend to marginalized forms of knowing and wisdom that emerge from different historical and social locations. With the conference theme, we want to focus on diverse forms of (religious) knowledge and emphasize their values as well as their challenges in today´s struggles.

Conference Main Language: English

More information, program and registration: HERE

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