The
Institute has
been named after the theologian Johann Adam Möhler (1796- 1838) from
Tübingen (south-western Germany). Möhler was the first who introduced
the academic research of doctrinal differences between the major
Christian denominations to Catholic theology. In his works he avoided
the usual polemic known at that time and based his presentation of the
teaching of the Reformation Churches on their official doctrinal
standards.
Responsible body
The responsible body of the Institute is the Archdiocese of Paderborn.
Subsidiarily responsible is the "Verein zur Pflege wissenschaftlicher
Forschungen auf dem Gebiete der Oekumenik e.V."[ "the Society for the
Cultivation of Academic Research in the Field of Ecumenics"]. The
president of the Institute is the Archbishop of Paderborn.
Academic Advisory Committee
There is an Academic Advisory Committee which supports the work of the
Institute. Many national and international theologians are members of
this Committee. The Moehler-Institute is linked to the Faculty
of Catholic Theology at Paderborn
History
The history of the Johann-Adam-Möhler-Institute cannot be thought
without the ecumenical pioneers of the church of Paderborn. At the
Philosophical-Theological Academy, above all the professors Paul Simon,
Adolf Herte and Norbert Peters had already laid the crucial groundwork
for an approach between the separated churches before the Second World
War.
Simon was one of the first Catholic authors who dealt with the
ecumenical movement. On the Catholic part he conducted the first
interdenominational conference of theologians. Herte submitted an
important study about the development of the Catholic image of Luther.
Peters in his function of an Old Testament theologian, promoted the
encounter with Protestant exegesis and essentially contributed to the
establishment of textual criticism in the Catholic area. Simon, dean of
the cathedral since 1933, and Lorenz Jaeger, archbishop since 1941,
maintained numerous ecumenical contacts in the time of the Third Reich
which had to be kept hidden to a great extent because of the secret
police surveillance. In 1943, the two succeeded in the establishment of
an ecumenical department of the Bishops’ Conference, the management of
which was transferred to Jaeger and to the Viennese Cardinal Innitzer.
Even in the last year of the war, theological groundwork for
conversations with the Protestant side was started in which, among
others, Karl Rahner, Romano Guardini and Michael Schmaus were involved.
As a result of this groundwork, the so-called Jaeger-Stählin-Circle
(ecumenical study group of Lutheran and Catholic theologians) was
founded in 1946 which furthers the discussion with Lutheran theologians
until today. The members of it were respectively are, among others,
Wolfhart Pannenberg, Karl Lehmann, Joseph Ratzinger and Eduard Lohse.
Paderborn was getting to be a laboratory of dialogue with Protestantism
(like Vienna for the dialogue with Orthodoxy). Finally, Jaeger was
substantially involved in the initiative to establish the Vatican
Secretariat of Unity and in its conception (1960). Supported by Prof.
DDr. Eduard Stakemeier, Director of the Möhler-Institute, he can be
regarded as one of the fathers of the Decree on Ecumenism of the Second
Vatican Council. Due to his commitment to the unity of the Church, he
was elevated to Cardinal in 1966.
In order to promote the encounter between the separated Christians, the
„Association for the promotion of academic research in the field of
studies in denominations and diaspora“ was brought into being on 27
January 1956. The main objective of the association was the
establishment of an institute that should encourage the research in the
sphere of ecumenical theology. In 1969, it was renamed in „Association
for the Fostering of academic research in the field of Ecumenics“.
The Institute for Studies in Denominations and Diaspora was founded on
19 January 1957 by Archbishop Lorenz Jaeger. It has been named after
the theologian Johann Adam Möhler (1796-1838) from Tübingen (later on
Munich) being the first who introduced the academic research of
doctrinal differences between the major Christian denominations to
Catholic theology. In 1966, the original title "Institute for Studies
in Denominations and Diaspora“ was changed into "Institute for
Ecumenics". It is linked to the Faculty of Theology in Paderborn.
