Mapping Theology (MapTheo)

Theology is fed by complex processes of reception and interaction with the theological tradition. Lines of reception are exemplified in research and shape the self-perception of theology and its themes, traditions and canonical texts. The MapTheo project aims to use digital research methods to map and exemplarily analyse the topics, lines of reception and formation of tradition in theology on the basis of publications in journals, monographs and anthologies.

Drawing from the interdisciplinary field of “Science of Science”, we aim to analyze how individual theologians operate effectively within the constellation of theological institutions, including academic departments, scholarly journals, grant-making agencies, professional societies, and university libraries using innovative data models and AI-based tools for analyses. By analyzing how theologians develop influence within these networks, we hope to shed light on how research movements emerge, expand, and dissolve within the field of theological studies. We expect that our work will illuminate how theology relates to other disciplines and the extent to which theologians connect with, contribute to, and enhance interdisciplinary research networks. This project will also indicate how innovations from other disciplines cross into theology and affect the direction of theological research. 

MapTheo thus offers for the first time an empirically valid basis for the topics, traditions and canons of theology and the thin lines between its various disciplines. It is thus both a first step towards computational theology in the discipline and the basis for a wide range of further research.