Congregations in a Danish Urban Area: Organization – Activities – Cooperation - Prof. Dr. Ulla Schmidt - University of Hamburg
- Lecture2Go
- Catalog
- F.5 - Geisteswissenschaften
- Religionen
- Religions in Transition: International Perspectives
Catalog
66 Views
27.04.2026
Congregations in a Danish Urban Area: Organization – Activities – Cooperation
In Denmark religious transition has among other things involved changing proportions between the majority evangelical lutheran church, minority religious groups of mainly Danish origin, and minority religious groups of mainly foreign origin: the former slowly declining, the middle more or less stable, and the latter growing. By focussing on Aarhus city (the second largest in Denmark) and urban area, this presentaton will analyse and discuss how these three congregational forms are linked to two other features, namely activities, and outreach and cooperation.
Ulla Schmidt is Associate Professor in practical theology at the Aarhus University. Her research interests include churches and organisation, state – church-relations, rituals and practices related to death, practice theory and practice theory and practical theology.
---
Religion, for many individuals, is practiced not in the abstract, but in concrete, embodied ways—through participation in local religious groups. These groups, often referred to as congregations, are central sites where religious belief, belonging, and behavior are lived out. They provide not only spaces for worship, but also platforms for socialization, community-building, charity, and political engagement. Local religious groups are remarkably diverse. They vary in size, resources, denominational affiliation, organizational form, leadership structure, activities, and their relationship with their surrounding context. They include parish-based Christian congregations, free churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, and spiritual centers. They can be embedded in religiously diverse urban metropolises or operate in rural, mono-religious settings. Despite this diversity, and despite their centrality in the religious field, our systematic knowledge of congregations remains limited—especially in the European context. The lecture series presents current congregational studies from various contexts such as Italy, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Croatia, and the USA. The lecture series is organized by the Academy of World Religions at the University of Hamburg with support from the Udo Keller Foundation Forum Humanum.
---
Religion, for many individuals, is practiced not in the abstract, but in concrete, embodied ways—through participation in local religious groups. These groups, often referred to as congregations, are central sites where religious belief, belonging, and behavior are lived out. They provide not only spaces for worship, but also platforms for socialization, community-building, charity, and political engagement. Local religious groups are remarkably diverse. They vary in size, resources, denominational affiliation, organizational form, leadership structure, activities, and their relationship with their surrounding context. They include parish-based Christian congregations, free churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, and spiritual centers. They can be embedded in religiously diverse urban metropolises or operate in rural, mono-religious settings. Despite this diversity, and despite their centrality in the religious field, our systematic knowledge of congregations remains limited—especially in the European context. The lecture series presents current congregational studies from various contexts such as Italy, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Croatia, and the USA. The lecture series is organized by the Academy of World Religions at the University of Hamburg with support from the Udo Keller Foundation Forum Humanum.
Technical support
Please click on the link bellow and then fill out the required fields to contact our Support Team!
RRZ Support Link