Center for Islamic Theology

Dipl. theol. Lea Schlenker, M.A.

Doctoral Research Fellow

Research Group “De/Sacralisation of Texts” (FOR 2828)

Member of the Internationalisation Team

[Translate to Englisch:] Profilbild von Lea Schlenker
Office

Liebermeisterstraße 18, 72076 Tübingen
6th level, Room 605

 -

lea.schlenkerspam prevention@uni-tuebingen.de

Office Hours

by appointment

Research

Main Research Interests

  • Christan-Muslim Dialogue
  • Comparative Theology
  • Embodiment and Practice Theories
  • Intercultural and Ecumenical Theology
  • Women and Religion

PhD project

Working title: Theology at the Table. Theological Understandings of Eating in Islamic-Sunni and Christian-Protestant Traditions 

What role does theology play in daily life? And how are everyday practices such as eating and drinking reflected theologically in Islamic and Christian traditions? In my PhD project, I examine Sunni adab literature and Lutheran hymnal songs with the help of concepts like embodiment, practice theory and everyday theology. From a historical and systematic-theological perspective, I explore which theological themes can be found in eating and how these can be applied in religious practice. In a second step, I compare the two traditions, especially regarding their views on God's gifts, the sharing of meals, and dimensions of holiness at meals. Given that the sources can be seen as examples of everyday theology themselves, I elaborate how they convey theological contents. In this way, my PhD adds everyday theology to recent comparative theological approaches. Eventually, it also contributes to the concept of interreligious hospitality by anchoring it in the concrete practice of sharing meals.

Short CV

since 2022
Research Assistant

“The Argument from Scripture” (Prof. Dr. Lejla Demiri), part of the Research Group “De/Sacralisation of Texts” (FOR 2828)

2021
Student Assistant

with Prof. Dr. Lejla Demiri, Chair of Islamic Doctrine, ZITh

2019–2021
M.A. “Islamic Theology in the European Context”

Center for Islamic Theology (ZITh) at University of Tübingen, including a virtual semester abroad at Marmara University (Istanbul, Turkey)

2018–2021
Secretary for Foreign Languages

with Prof. Dr. Lejla Demiri, Chair of Islamic Doctrine, ZITh

2016–2018
Student Assistant

with Prof. Dr. Christoph Schwöbel, Chair of Systematic Theology I, Protestant Faculty

2014–2016
Student Assistant

with Prof. Dr. Michael Tilly, Chair of New Testament Studies I, Protestant Faculty

2012–2017
Scholarship holder at Evangelisches Stift Tübingen
2012–2019
Study of Protestant Theology (Church Examination/Diploma)

Protestant Theological Faculty, University of Tübingen, including semesters abroad at University of Basel (Switzerland) and University of Otago (Dunedin, New Zealand) as well as participation in the 5-week “Study Course Oman” in Masqat

Publications

  • „From shared meals to interreligious conversations“, Current Dialogue. Special Issue of the Ecumenical Review, 73/5 (2021), pp. 702–713.
  • „Die Kirche und der Frieden. Eine protestantische Geschichte des pacem facere“, Friedensethik und Theologie. Systematische Erschließungen eines Fachgebiets aus der Perspektive von Philosophie und christlicher Theologie, eds. Elisabeth Gräb-Schmidt/Julian Zeyher- Quattlender, Baden-Baden: Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, 2018, pp. 65–79.
  • „Im Dienst an Volk und Kirche. Das Stiftsjubiläum 1936“, Blätter für Württembergische Kirchengeschichte, 116 (2016), pp. 341–374.

Papers and Presentations

  • “Early Modern Ways of Doing Theology in Protestant and Sunni Sources”, 11th Cambridge-Tübingen Workshop, Tübingen (2024)
  • “Temporal Dimensions at the Table”, International Meeting on Comparative Theology, Bonn (2024)
  • “Balancing This-Worldly Needs and the Focus on the Hereafter. On Fasting and Eating in a 10th Century Sufi Manual” (146-a) im Panel 146 “Body, Mind, and Spirit. Medicine and Religion in the Medieval Islamicate World”, International Medieval Congress 2024 an der University of Leeds (UK) (2024)
  • “‘Aller Augen warten auf dich, Herre.’ On the Reception of Ps 145 in Hymns and in Catechetical Literature“, Workshop “Form and Content”, FOR 2828 De/Sakralisierung von Texten, Tübingen (2024)
  • "Comparing Theologies at the Table. On Perspectives from Religious Studies in Comparative Theology after the Practice Turn", Conference "Comparison and Comparative Theology", Universität Fribourg (CH) (2023)
  • "The Use of Psalm 145:15–16 for Saying Grace in German Lutheran Traditions with Special Consideration of Christian Sermons on the Appendix to the Catechism (Tübingen 1680)", 10th Cambridge-Tübingen Workshop "Network Religious Knowledge in the Early Modern World", Cambridge (UK) (2023)
  • (with Rawdah Gawaher) "Notions of Religious Pluralism in the Writings of Christian and Muslim Scholars: A Cross- Authored Perspective", Symposium: The Religious Other(s), GINGKO / Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum, Aachen (2023)
  • "Hymns as a Source for Interreligious Dialogue", Conference “Christoph Schwöbel: Theology in Conversation” (European Academy of Religion 2023), St Andrews (UK)
  • "Interreligiöser Dialog. Hintergründe und aktuelle Herausforderungen", Abends um Acht – Vortrag und Gespräch, Evangelische Kirchengemeinde NeuSteinHofen (2023)
  • "Ambivalence at the table. Shared meals with 'the other' in Sunni adab manuals", 9th Cambridge-Tübingen Workshop “Religious and confessional ambivalence”, Tübingen (2022)
  • "Christian and Muslim notions of reconciliation at the table", SST Post-Graduate Conference 2021 "Reconciliation", Newnham College, University of Cambridge (UK)
  • "Interreligious Dialogue. Developments and current challenges" (in German), Protestant Congregation NeuSteinHofen (2023)
  • "Ambivalence at the table. Shared meals with 'the other' in Sunni adab manuals", 9th Cambridge-Tübingen Workshop  “Religious and confessional ambivalence”, Tübingen (2022)
  • "Christian and Muslim notions of reconciliation at the table" , SST Post-Graduate Conference 2021 "Reconciliation", Newnham College, University of Cambridge (UK)

Other

  • Member and Treasurer of Societas Ethica. European Society for Research in Ethics (since 2024)
  • Co-Organizer of the Workshop "Making Sense of Interreligious Practices. Perspectives from Theology, Religious Studies, and Anthropology" (29–31 March 2023), University of Tübingen (funded as part of the Excellence Strategy of the German Federal and State Governments)
  • Co-Chair of the working group for the revision of Charta Oecumenica, appointed by the Conference of European Churches (CEC) and the Council of European Bishop’s Conferences (CCEE) (since 2022)
  • Fellow of the Gingko Interfaith Fellowship Programme (2022–2023)
  • Member of the Center for Religion, Culture, and Society (CRCS) (since 2021)
  • Member of the Governing Board and Youth Advisor, Conference of European Churches (CEC) (2018–2023)
  • Member of the Youth Committee, German National Committee of the Lutheran World Federation (2018–2022)
  • Member of the Strategic Advisory Group on Theological Education and Formation, Lutheran World Federation (2018–2020)