Western societies, shaped by migration and globalization, face the challenge of accommodating diverse religious identities while also upholding a secular self-image. A well-founded and thoughtful understanding of one’s own and others’ religious traditions, along with the ability to engage in interreligious discourse, are becoming key competencies in various fields. There is a need for professionals who are familiar with and able to articulate various religious traditions.

Since 2005, the Faculty of Theology at the University of Bern has offered the “Interreligious Studies” program as a BA and MA major and minor. By exploring and critically examining various religious cultures—both historical and contemporary—and by reflecting on and practicing interreligious perspectives, graduates of this program are equipped to respond to a new, post-secular, and multireligious reality and to competently guide the associated processes of transformation.