Julia Knop

Prof. Dr. Julia Knop is Professor of Dogmatics at the Catholic Theological Faculty of the University of Erfurt, where she also serves as Vice President for Academic Affairs. She leads eTeach Erfurt and the European Graduate School Theology in religious, cultural and political Processes of Transformation, and acts as Academic Advisor for the Master's degree in Catholic Theology. Her leadership extends to the University Council as an advisory member.

Her research focuses on the Synodal Path of the Catholic Church in Germany and worldwide, women's and gender studies, religious discrimination against women and LGBTIQ people, the (ir-)relevance and (im-)plausibility of the question of God in the present, and ecumenical theology. Her work critically examines power structures, gender inequality, and reform possibilities within the Catholic Church.

Knop's extensive publication record reveals a strong trend toward analyzing synodal processes as vehicles for church reform, with particular attention to gender justice, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and restructuring ecclesiastical authority. Her scholarship bridges academic theology with practical church concerns, often addressing contemporary crises in Catholicism through both theoretical frameworks and concrete proposals for change.

She actively participates in numerous church reform initiatives and committees, including serving as Chair of the German Ecumenical Study Committee since November 2024, as a member of the Synodal Committee of the Catholic Church in Germany since 2023, and as an elected member of the Central Committee of German Catholics from 2021-2025. Her engagement with practical church issues extends to editorial roles with journals like Apulia Theologica and the Journal of Philosophy and Theology.

Prof. Knop leads significant research projects including 'God's Strong Daughters: Religious Discrimination Against Women in the Catholic Church,' 'Blessing what God has created: Discrimination against LGBTIQ+ people in the teaching, liturgy, and life of the Catholic Church,' and 'Confessional Studies and Ecumenism: Catholicism in the 21st Century.' Her work demonstrates a commitment to transforming theological discourse into practical pathways for greater inclusion and justice within religious institutions.