Katharina Ebner

Dr. Katharina Ebner is the head of the junior research group "Herrschaft / Dominion & Power" at the Faculty of Catholic Theology, University of Würzburg. Since 2019 she has led this interdisciplinary team exploring power relations within church and society. In the winter semesters 2023/24 and 2024/25 she additionally serves as interim professor for Theological Ethics / Moral Theology, covering the chair’s teaching obligations.

Education:

• 2006–2013: Studies in German, Catholic Theology and Philosophy in Munich and London
• 2010: Bachelor of Arts, School of Philosophy, Munich
• 2011: Master of Arts in Philosophy, Heythrop College, University of London
• 2012: 1st State Examination in German and Catholic Religion, LMU Munich
• 2013: Diploma in Catholic Theology
• 2012–2017: Doctoral studies in Catholic Theology, International Graduate School “Religious Cultures in 19th and 20th Century Europe”, LMU Munich
• Winter 2014/15: Visiting Student, King’s College London
• 2017: Dr. theol. (PhD) with thesis „Religion im Parlament. Homosexualität als Gegenstand parlamentarischer Debatten im Vereinigten Königreich und in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (1945-1990)“

Research Interests:

Dr. Ebner’s research integrates systematic theology, moral philosophy, and empirical studies to address questions of power, ethics, and religion in contemporary society. Her thematic clusters include:

• Bioethics & Xenotransplantation: ethical, legal, psycho-social and pastoral challenges of cross-species transplantation.
• Religion, Law & Politics: the role of religious arguments in parliamentary debates on homosexuality, family, and reproductive rights.
• Gender & Power: analyses of power dynamics within the Roman Catholic Church and broader society.
• Digital Ethics: privacy, autonomy, and the transformation of public and private spheres in digital societies.

Publications & Trends:

Her 15 most recent articles (2019-2025) reveal a consistent trajectory from historical case studies of religion in political discourse toward cutting-edge bioethical questions raised by emerging technologies. Themes of human dignity, autonomy, and the moral boundaries of scientific innovation recur across her work, while methodologies range from systematic-theological argumentation to interdisciplinary empirical studies.

Scientific Awards & Fellowships:

• 2020 Röntgen Prize (University of Würzburg)
• 2018 Dissertation Award, Munich University Society
• 2016 Leibniz-IEG Fellowship
• 2015 German Historical Institute London Fellowship
• 2013–2014 Mentee, LMU Mentoring for Women Scholars
• 2012–2015 DFG International Graduate School Fellowship
• 2008–2012 Cusanuswerk Scholarship

Research Funding & Collaborations:

• Current: German Research Foundation (DFG) funding within the junior research group “Herrschaft / Dominion & Power”.
• 2016–2019: Research associate in the DFG Collaborative Research Centre/Transregio 127 “Biology of xenogeneic cell and organ transplantation”, sub-project Z01 on ethical and legal issues (LMU Munich & University of Bonn).
• 2016–2019: Co-investigator in the BMBF-funded project “Neue Lebensformen der Familie” at the University of Bonn.

Laboratory & Team:

Dr. Ebner’s Junior Research Group “Herrschaft / Dominion & Power” is located in Room 3.010 at the Faculty of Catholic Theology, University of Würzburg. The group brings together theologians, ethicists and social scientists to investigate power asymmetries in ecclesial and societal structures, currently focusing on power dynamics within the Synodal Path of the Catholic Church in Germany.