Program Overview

Program Overview

The Evangelisches Institut f¸r Kirchenrecht at the Universit‰t Potsdam offers a comprehensive program in German Religious Constitutional Law, exploring the complex relationships between the state, religious communities, and individual citizens.

Course Description

The course, "Staat Gesellschaft Religion: Einf¸hrung in das deutsche Religionsverfassungsrecht und in die Rechtsbeziehungen des Staates zu den Religionsgemeinschaften," provides an in-depth introduction to the principles of German religious constitutional law. It examines the historical development of religious freedom, the role of the state in relation to religious communities, and the protection of individual beliefs.

Target Audience

This program is designed for students of law, theology, history, social sciences, and political sciences, as well as those interested in the intersection of religion and state.

Course Structure

The course is divided into twelve modules, covering topics such as:

• Grundlagen (Basics): Introduction to the subject matter, definitions, and historical context
• Religionsfreiheit (Religious Freedom): Human rights, individual and collective freedom of religion, and international law
• Das Selbstbestimmungsrecht der Religionsgemeinschaften und seine Grenzen (The Self-Determination Right of Religious Communities and its Limits): The concept of religious communities, self-organization, and self-definition
• Selbstbestimmungsrecht und individuelle Glaubensfreiheit, kirchliches Dienst- und Arbeitsrecht (Self-Determination Right and Individual Freedom of Belief, Church Service and Labor Law): The relationship between church and state, loyalty obligations, and labor law
• Glaubensfreiheit versus Gemeinwohl (Freedom of Belief versus Common Good): Balancing individual rights with the common good, including cases of child welfare and public health
• Der Kˆrperschaftsstatus f¸r Religions- und Weltanschauungsgemeinschaften (The Status of a Public Corporation for Religious and Ideological Communities): Legal forms, acquisition, and loss of status, and tax implications
• Fˆrderung der Religionsgemeinschaften durch Staatsleistungen (Promotion of Religious Communities through State Services): Historical background, types of state services, and legal nature
• Schutz der Glaubensfreiheit und Gemeinsame Aufgaben (Protection of Freedom of Belief and Common Tasks): Seals of confession, crisis management, and the role of churches in social services
• Religionsunterricht und Religionsgemeinschaften (Religious Education and Religious Communities): Article 7, Section 3 of the German Constitution, historical context, and current debates
• Schutz der individuellen Glaubensfreiheit im einfachen Recht (Protection of Individual Freedom of Belief in Simple Law): Anti-discrimination laws and limits of private autonomy
• Schutz der ˆffentlichen Religionsaus¸bung (Protection of Public Religious Practice): Sunday and holiday protection, Article 4 of the German Constitution, and further state protection measures
• Abschlussblock (Final Module):
  • Staatskirchenrechtliche Fragen im Zusammenhang mit Migration und Asylrecht (State Church Law Questions in Connection with Migration and Asylum Law)
  • Vertr‰ge zwischen Staat und Religionsgemeinschaften (Treaties between State and Religious Communities)
  • Ausblick Staatskirchenrecht (Outlook on State Church Law): New challenges, models in a unified EU, and possibilities for cooperation

Lecturers

The course is taught by MR Prof. Dr. Norbert Janz and Pr‰s. a.D. Ulrich Seelemann.

Time and Location

The lecture begins on November 5, 2024, and takes place every Tuesday from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM in room S 16, Komplex Griebnitzsee.

Last Update

The information was last updated on August 13, 2025, by Maria Rathnow.