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Practical Theology for a Changing Society
The path to Andrea Bieler leads to Heuberg in the heart of the old town of Basel. In this historical domicile, the professor of Practical Theology engages with highly relevant topics of the present, such as migration and interculturality.
Even as a young person, Andrea Bieler was impressed by how the church got involved in societal matters – for example, by supporting the peace movement in Germany, which opposed armament during the Cold War. «I myself was always out demonstrating», she recalls. «The church offered me the opportunity to get involved and inspired me to contemplate the fundamental questions of life.» These experiences shaped her studies in Protestant Theology at the universities of Marburg, Amsterdam, and Hamburg. She completed her doctoral thesis in Kassel as part of a feminist theological network.
Research in a Multireligious Environment
However, a purely European perspective on Christianity no longer satisfied the knowledge-thirsty theologian. Therefore, she took the leap to California, to the progressive Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, where she worked as a professor for twelve years. There, as hoped, entirely new horizons opened up to her – she conducted her research in a diverse, multireligious environment with centers for Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, and Islamic studies. «Even among the students, there was immense diversity in terms of origins, ways of life, and sexual orientation», says Bieler. «It was incredibly enlightening for me to witness how these different groups are transforming Christianity in America.»
Andrea Bieler brought these insights with her to Basel when she assumed her professorship at the Faculty of Theology in 2017. For even here in Switzerland, the church communities have experienced significant shifts – due to the immigration of people from other countries who practice Christianity in entirely different forms or belong to non-Christian religions. «I am deeply intrigued by these interreligious and intercultural zones that arise from migration,» says Bieler. For instance, how does coexistence function within church communities that welcome Christians from Africa? What dynamics does this set in motion? Are new forms of worship emerging? How do these groups navigate tensions stemming from differing viewpoints, such as those related to sexual ethics? Bieler is now investigating such phenomena in her extensive research project Conviviality in Motion, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation.
Her team accompanies six Christian communities that have opened themselves to believers from other countries, cultures, or religions. For example, an established Waldensian community in Milan that has welcomed Christians from Ghana and the Philippines in two waves. Or the Matthäuskirche in Kleinbasel, which cares for people from other countries. Or a Lutheran church in Hamburg that maintains connections with the mosques surrounding it.
«This project by no means deals with a peripheral topic», Bieler emphasizes. «Migration and displacement will profoundly reshape Christianity also here in Switzerland in the coming years. We have to start thinking now about how we can live together in the future.» Yet, she sees the new interculturality as a tremendous opportunity for renewal and transformation within the church. «It should not only be about newcomers adapting to us. Integration shouldn't be a one-way street.»
The Human Being at the Center
In her other research projects as well, Andrea Bieler consistently focuses on topics that concern our humanity – subjects that have been insufficiently illuminated from a theological perspective thus far. She engages with issues of vulnerability, healing, and reconciliation. For this purpose, she travels to South Africa repeatedly, where people still suffer from the traumatic experiences of apartheid.
When asked about plans for future research projects, ideas flow abundantly from her. Lately, she has been contemplating our approach to dying and death. «For instance, burial customs have been set in motion due to the diversification of society», she says. «In the past, immigrants who died in Switzerland arranged to be repatriated to their home countries after their death. Nowadays, many wish to be buried in Switzerland.»
Parallel to her academic career, Bieler has also worked as a pastor. She warmly encourages her students to gain insights into the daily life of the church: «Practical theology is about how religion is lived within the churches.» And even today, she doesn't hide in an ivory tower; instead, she shares her thoughts on sensitive theological topics such as sexuality or the role of women with the public. This includes being a guest preacher in Basel's church communities or participating as an expert in podcasts and on Swiss radio.
