Election at the Catholic Academy: New impulses for social ethics!

Election at the Catholic Academy: New impulses for social ethics!

On March 8, 2025, Martin Schneider was elected deputy chairman of the Christian Social Ethics Working Group at a general meeting in the Catholic Academy in Berlin. This choice took place during workshop discussions in which the challenges and developments of Christian social ethics were discussed. During the meeting, Prof. Dr. Jochen Ostheimer from the University of Augsburg was elected chairman of the working group. The working group is not only ecumenically open, but also has a clear focus on theological and scientific issues.

Christian social teaching deals with social values ​​and fundamental institutions from a Christian perspective. The aim is to place the social dimension of the Christian message in the context of current social challenges in the areas of the state, economy and society. Topics such as business ethics, political ethics, human rights ethics and environmental ethics are among the core areas of this teaching. This reflection is particularly relevant at a time when social divisions and cohesion in the face of cultural diversity are increasingly coming to the fore.

Insights into Christian social teaching

The basic features and principles of Christian social teaching are aimed at creating a humane social order. It is an integral part of the Christian message of salvation and includes binding norms for the ordering of political life. Its roots lie in the revelation of God and are strongly linked to Western philosophy and natural law thought. In the Catholic tradition, social teaching was shaped in particular by the magisterium of the popes and has developed since the encyclical Rerum Novarum by Pope Leo XIII. continuously developed. This encyclical committed to democracy and broadened the view of global social conditions.

Catholic social teaching also deals with the difficulty of recognizing justice deficits and developing solutions. In order for it to remain effective, it must always be in dialogue with society and face current political and social challenges. Central principles include personality, solidarity, subsidiarity and the common good, which serve as the benchmark for a just social order.

Martin Schneider's commitment

Martin Schneider has been teaching at the Catholic University since 2000 and has been professor of moral theology and social ethics at the School of Transformation and Sustainability since 2023. After completing his doctorate in social ethics at the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich, Schneider dedicated himself in particular to research on socio-spatial divisions and their implications for social cohesion. He is currently working on the adaptability of individuals and systems in an increasingly changing global society.

Schneider has also taken over the leadership of the scientific board of trustees of the Bavarian Academy for Rural Areas, which underlines his strong connection to the practical application of Christian social teaching.

Christian social ethics is therefore more than just an academic discipline; it offers essential solutions to the challenges of living together in a pluralistic society. The common basis of humanity and justice plays a central role in this teaching, which continues to be shaped by theological and philosophical impulses. The working group, in which Schneider plays a central role, is ready to develop new perspectives and solutions in this dynamic environment.