Roland Cerny-Werner

Roland Cerny-Werner is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biblical Studies and Church History at the Catholic Theological Faculty of the University of Salzburg. He holds the academic title of Associate Professor and serves as both the Disability and Diversity Officer and Erasmus Representative for his department. His academic journey began with a major in Modern & Contemporary History at Friedrich Schiller University Jena, followed by a doctorate on Vatican-Eastern relations and a habilitation on post-Vatican II synods in Austria.

His research interests span Modern Church History, Vatican diplomacy during the Cold War, anti-Semitism and the deicide motif, synodality, and women in church history. He is particularly known for his work on the Vatican’s role in Cold War geopolitics and the theological underpinnings of religious discrimination. His research has been supported by scholarships from the Cardinal Agostino Casaroli Study Centre and the German Historical Institute, Rome.

His recent publications reflect a strong trend in analyzing ecclesial reform processes, Vatican foreign policy, and the persistence of anti-Jewish theology in modern ideological movements. He frequently contributes to edited volumes and journals such as the Swiss Journal of Religious and Cultural History, often co-editing thematic collections on synodality and church renewal.

• Archbishop Rohracher Study Prize (2022)

Cerny-Werner actively engages in academic advising, research collaboration, and public outreach. He participates in international projects involving universities in Helsinki, Fribourg, Lund, Villanova, and McGill, focusing on the Helsinki Process and church roles in diplomacy. He organizes academic events, delivers public lectures on discrimination and remembrance, and contributes to media programs on Jewish cultural history. He has been involved in third-mission activities promoting science education in Austrian schools and is a member of research centers focused on Jewish cultural history and the Christian East.