On September 15-17, Professor Frank M. Luetze, head of the chair of Religious Pedagogy and Didactics of Religion’s Teaching at the Theological University of Leipzig, Germany, was in Kyiv on an academic visit. On Monday, September 16, he gave a lecture for students of both master’s courses on the topic “The contribution of religion’s teaching to political and democratic education”. The speech was translated by Sergii Bortnyk. A leading thesis of this speech was the idea of the importance of preserving and developing religious tradition in the conditions of polarization and individualization of the society.
This visit took place within the framework of cooperation between the University of Leipzig and the Kyiv Theological Academy. Before the lecture, Professor Luetze handed over an official welcome letter from the Rector of the University of Leipzig, Professor Eva Inès Obergfell, which stated: “I believe that interfaith dialogue is extremely important and that it is central for overcoming political and social tensions”.
In addition to the official part, Professor Luetze had an opportunity for informal communication with both teachers and students of the Academy, as well as for visiting outstanding church sights of Kyiv. This visit of the German professor was a return visit, because in January 2024, Professor Sergii Bortnyk was at the University of Leipzig with a similar visit. One can read on this visit on the website of our Foundation – see https://www.academic-initiative.org.ua/en/2024/02/06/lectures_sb_in_goettingen_and_leipzig/
