The year 2017 marks 500 years since the beginning of the Reformation initiated by Martin Luther. While in its core a religious reform movement, the Reformation also coincides with far-reaching changes in society, economics and governance. We invite to explore the connection between religion, reform and society from a contemporary perspective. Is religion a source of innovative inspiration in the modern world? How can religion contribute to processes of innovation? How do religions today understand their own potential of instigating or processing social development and renovation?

Whereas social sciences approach the challenges of modern society from various theoretical and historical perspectives, theologies may unfold their own particular approaches. On the one hand, religions generally may have a common ground from a systematic point of view in the productive tension between tradition and innovation. On the other hand, contexts, concepts and possibly objectives are quite specific, and may differ between Christianity and, for example, Islam. Dr. Hartmut von Sass will inquire the conditions and approaches necessary for religion to contribute shaping contemporary social change and development from the perspective of Christian Theology. A group of discussants - and of course the critical audience - is invited to comment the presentation by Dr. von Sass possibly also from an Islamic perspective, exploring similarities as well as differences.

Dr. Hartmut von Sass is Vice Director of the Collegium Helveticum, an interdisciplinary institute for advanced studies, and Associate Professor for Systematic Theology and Philosophy of Religion at the University of Zurich. He studied Theology and Philosophy in Goettingen, Edinburgh, and Berlin before coming to Zurich working as Assistant at the Chair for Systematic Theology. He had been a visiting scholar at Claremont Graduate University, at Oxford, and Pasadena. Next year, he will serve as research fellow at the University of California, Berkeley.

The talk will be moderated by Reverend Stefan El Karsheh of the German Speaking Protestant Church in Cairo.