Christian Gottlob Barth Prize 25/26 Innovative Religious Education

The Christian-Gottlob-Barth Prize 25/26 honors outstanding master’s theses and dissertations in the field of religious education submitted at universities in Baden-Württemberg. The funding supports research projects that demonstrate a strong practical relevance to the religious education of children, adolescents, and young adults, while also developing innovative approaches in areas such as interreligious education, inclusion, digitality, education for sustainable development, heterogeneity, diversity, or gender. The award is endowed with prize money of €1,000, €750, and €500 and recognizes contributions that have been evaluated as academically excellent and simultaneously provide forward-looking impulses for schools, congregations, and extracurricular educational settings.

Eligible to participate are master’s students with a final grade of at least 1.7 as well as doctoral candidates whose dissertation has been graded summa cum laude or magna cum laude. Submitted works must have been submitted to a university in Baden-Württemberg within the period from April 2023 (dissertations) or April 2024 (master’s theses) until April 30, 2026. In addition to the complete work, a justification (max. 3,000 characters) and all documents must be submitted punctually as PDF files via email. The jury, composed of scholars and church representatives, selects the awardees based on innovation content, practical relevance, and academic quality. The public award ceremony also offers an opportunity for exchange on current didactic challenges and perspectives in religious education.