Lea Schlenker

PhD candidate, supervised by Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Lejla Demiri

lea.schlenkerspam prevention@zith.uni-tuebingen.de

Research

Main Research

Systematic Theology
Christian-Muslim Dialogue
Everyday Theology
Comparative Theology
Scriptural Reasoning
Women and Religion

PhD Dissertation Project

Theology at the Table. A Comparative Study of the Theological Understanding of Eating in Islamic and Christian Traditions

Short Curriculum Vitae

2022–2024

Research Fellow

Project 4 “The Argument from Scripture” (Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Lejla Demiri), as part of the interdisciplinary research group “De/Sacralization of Texts” (FOR 2828), University of Tübingen

Since 2022

PhD candidate

“Theology at the Table. A Comparative Study of the Theological Understanding of Eating in Islamic and Christian Traditions"

Supervised by Prof. Dr. Gotlind Ulshöfer, Protestant Theology, and Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Lejla Demiri, Islamic Theology

2021

Academic Assistant

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Lejla Demiri, Chair of Islamic Doctrine, Center for Islamic Theology, University of Tübingen

2019–2021

M.A. in Islamic Theology in the European Context

University of Tübingen and Marmara University (TR)

2018–2021

Administrative Assistant

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Lejla Demiri, Chair of Islamic Doctrine, Center for Islamic Theology, University of Tübingen

2012–2019

Dipl. theol. in Protestant Theology

University of Tübingen, University of Basel (CH), University of Otago (NZ), including a study-course in Muscat (OM)

Academic Activities

Publications

(with Rawdah Gawaher) “Notions of Religious Pluralism in the Writings of Christian and Muslim Scholars. A Cross-Authored Perspective”, to be published with Gingko (under preparation).
Co-editor (with Sebastian Pittl and Amina Nawaz) of a journal issue on Marianne Moyaert’s notion of “religionization”, Campus der Theologien, 2 (Spring 2025).
(with Lea Stolz) “Workshop Report: Making Sense of Interreligious Practices. Perspectives from Theology, Religious Studies, and Anthropology (Tübingen, 29–31 March 2023)”, Campus der Theologien, 2 (Spring 2025).
“‘Aller Augen warten auf dich, Herre’. The Use of Ps 145:15f. for Saying Grace in Lutheran Traditions”, Reworking the Sacred through Music and Poetry. The De/Sacralisation of Texts, eds. Mathias Bauer, Jan Stievermann, and Angelika Zirker, Münster: LIT (forthcoming).
“Learning from Hymns for Interreligious Dialogue. Patterns of Communication with God, Oneself, and Others”, Theology in Conversation, ed. Judith Wolfe, Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter (forthcoming).
“Risāla fī ḥtirām al-khubz. ‘Treatise on the Honouring of Bread’”, ‘Abd al-Ghānī al-Nābulusī. A Bilingual Reader, ed. Lejla Demiri, Samuela Pagani, and Astrid Meier, Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck (forthcoming).
“Taufe und Wachstum in Gemeinschaft. Bericht der lutherisch/römisch-katholischen Kommission für die Einheit”, German Translation of “Baptism and Growth in Communion. Report of the Lutheran-Roman Catholic Commission on Unity”, issued by the Lutheran World Federation and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (forthcoming).
Ochs, Peter, Reparatives Denken. Lehren aus den Werken von Hasdai Crescas, David Halivni und aus Scriptural Reasoning, ed. Birgit Weyel, trans. Lea Schlenker, Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck 2024.
“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, ed. 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.

Conferences and Grants

61^st Annual Conference of Societas Ethica “Ethics in Diversity. Intercultural and Interreligious Ethics” (21–24 August 2025), Academy Hofgeismar (under preparation)
Workshop "Making Sense of Interreligious Practices. Perspectives from Theology, Religious Studies, and Anthropology" (29–31 March 2023), University of Tübingen (co-organized with Lea Stolz); Total sum of grants: 5023 EUR
Travel grants, total sum: 1000 EUR

Papers and Presentations

“Early Modern Ways of Doing Theology in Protestant and Sunni Sources”, 11th Cambridge-Tübingen Workshop, Tübingen (09/24)
“Temporal Dimensions at the Table”, International Meeting on Comparative Theology, Bonn (08/24)
“Balancing This-Worldly Needs and the Focus on the Hereafter. On Fasting and Eating in a 10th Century Sufi Manual” (146-a) in the panel 146 “Body, Mind, and Spirit. Medicine and Religion in the Medieval Islamicate World”, International Medieval Congress 2024 at the University of Leeds (07/24)
“‘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/Sacralization of Texts, Tübingen (06/24)
“Comparing Theologies at the Table. On Perspectives from Religious Studies in Comparative Theology after the Practice Turn”, Conference “Comparison and Comparative Theology”, University of Fribourg (10/23)
“Birgivī Meḥmet Efendī’s (d. 981/1573) Employment of Scripture to Address the Im/Permissibility of Non-Muslim Food”, Workshop “Muslim Readings of the Bible”, FOR 2828 De/Sacralization of Texts, Tübingen (09/23)
“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 (09/23)
(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 and Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum, Aachen (09/23)
“Hymns as a Source for Interreligious Dialogue”, Conference “Christoph Schwöbel. Theology in Conversation”, European Academy of Religion 2023, St Andrews (06/23)
“Ambivalence at the table. Shared Meals with ‘the Other’ in Sunni Adab Manuals”, 9th Cambridge-Tübingen Workshop “Religious and Confessional Ambivalence”, Tübingen (09/22)
“Theologie bei Tisch. Eine lutherische Perspektive auf Mahlgemeinschaft am Beispiel des Liedes 'Nun lasst uns Gott dem Herren' (EG 320)”, 14th Study Course in Philosophy of Religion, Inter-University-Center Dubrovnik (06/22)
“Christian and Muslim Notions of Reconciliation at the Table”, SST Post-Graduate Conference 2021 “Reconciliation”, Newnham College, University of Cambridge (09/21)

Teaching

10/24: Planning and Teaching of the course “Eating and Fasting: Body Ecologies between Desire and Denial” as part of the seminar “Religious Practices in Socio-Political Contexts” (Rev. Katrin Bosse), University of St Andrews
Since 11/19: Scholarly presentations and workshops for the training of pastors and for the wider (church) public, e.g. on “Feminist Lutheran Perspectives on Justification and the Incarnation” (11/19), on racism in the church (09/21), on interreligious dialogue (02/23 and 01/24)
09/22: Mentoring during a study trip to Bosnia for students of Islamic Religious Education as part of the ILM-project (Internationalizing, Learning, and Mentoring), Center for Islamic Theology, University of Tübingen
10/19–02/20: Tutorial on academic research and writing at the Center for Islamic Theology, University of Tübingen
10/16–08/18: Tutorials for the lectures of Prof. Dr. Christoph Schwöbel, Chair of Systematic Theology I, Faculty of Protestant Theology, University of Tübingen
04/16–07/16: Course for fellow students on “Experiences Abroad and Intercultural Theology” at Evangelisches Stift Tübingen
10/13–02/14: Course for fellow students on “Death and Dying” at Evangelisches Stift

Memberships and Functions

Since 08/24: Member and Treasurer of Societas Ethica. European Society for Research in Ethics
01/23–12/24: Member of the Church Parish Council of Evangelische Stephanusgemeinde Tübingen
Since 11/22: 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)
01/22–12/23: Fellow of the Gingko Interfaith Fellowship Program
Since 10/21: Member of the Center for Religion, Culture, and Society (CRCS) at the University of Tübingen
Since 09/21: Member of the international and ecumenical/interreligious working group Ma/Patristics
10/12–10/23: Member in several committees for academic administration at the University of Tübingen (Gender Equality Commission, Academic Council, and Center Council at the Center for Islamic Theology, as well as Faculty Council at the Faculty of Protestant Theology)
08/20–06/23: Co-Founder and Chair of Female Religious Leaders (FoRēL), a digital interfaith network for women
06/18–06/23: Member of the Governing Board and Youth Adviser of the Conference of European Churches (CEC)
09/18–03/22: Member of the Youth Committee of the German National Committee of the Lutheran World Federation
03/18–01/20: Member of the Strategic Advisory Group on Theological Education and Formation of the Lutheran World Federation