Regina Elsner

Prof. Dr. Regina Elsner is a Professor of Eastern Church Studies and Ecumenics at the Catholic Theological Faculty of the University of Münster, Germany. She holds a position at the Ecumenical Institute (Room 111) and has been a faculty member since 2024. Her academic career includes roles as a researcher at the Center for East European and International Studies (ZOiS) in Berlin and as a project coordinator for Caritas Russia in St. Petersburg. She completed her theological studies at the Free University of Berlin and the University of Münster, with a focus on Russian Orthodoxy and modernity.

Elsner's research focuses on Orthodox theology, ecumenical studies, and the intersection of religion with political and social issues in Eastern Europe. Key areas include Orthodox peace ethics, church-state relations in post-Soviet states, gender discourse within Orthodoxy, and the role of religious institutions in conflicts like the Ukraine war. She has published extensively on topics such as Russian Orthodox ethics of peace/war, anti-genderism movements, and the socio-political role of Eastern Christian churches.

Her recent courses (2023–2025) include seminars on Orthodox theology, ecumenical challenges in climate justice, and historical narratives in Armenia. She has edited special journal issues like 'Anti-genderism in Eastern Europe' (2025) and contributed to policy discussions through roles in church commissions and academic networks like the German Society for East European Studies.

Elsner's work combines theological analysis with political sociology, addressing contemporary crises such as the Ukraine conflict, Belarus protests, and the institutional challenges faced by Eastern churches in modernity. She is actively involved in ecumenical dialogue and serves on editorial boards of journals like Ost-West Europäische Perspektiven.