Evangelical Central Office for Questions of Worldview

The Evangelische Zentralstelle für Weltanschauungsfragen (EZW) is a legally dependent institution of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), founded in 1960 as the successor to the Berlin Apologetic Central Office (Apologetische Centrale), which had been forcibly closed by the National Socialists in 1937. It serves as the central apologetic research, documentation and information office for the EKD, with a mission to provide Christian orientation in a pluralistic religious and ideological landscape, promote dialogue with non-believers and those of other faiths, and inform about developments and trends in Germany's religious landscape. The EZW is headquartered in Berlin-Mitte since 1995, having previously been based in Stuttgart. It publishes the monthly journal Materialdienst (now Zeitschrift für Religion und Weltanschauung) and the EZW-Texte series, and organises conferences on various worldview topics. Its research is organised into five departments covering fundamental questions, Islam and non-Christian religions, psychological aspects of new religiosity, Christian special communities, and esotericism and conspiracy narratives. The EZW cooperates closely with the worldview officers of the Protestant regional churches in Germany.

The Evangelische Zentralstelle für Weltanschauungsfragen (EZW) was founded in 1960 by the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) as the successor to the Berlin Apologetic Central Office (Apologetische Centrale), which had been established in 1921 and forcibly closed by the National Socialists in 1937. The first director of the EZW, initially based in Stuttgart, was Kurt Hutten (1901–1979). In 1995, the institute moved to Berlin-Mitte. The EZW functions as the central apologetic research, documentation and information office of the EKD. It publishes its findings in the monthly journal Materialdienst (now Zeitschrift für Religion und Weltanschauung) and in the EZW-Texte series. It regularly organises conferences, sometimes in cooperation with other bodies, on a wide range of worldview topics. In 2001, it published a book providing an overview of the contemporary panorama of new religiosity (second edition 2005). A key task of the EZW is to coordinate worldview work within the Evangelical Church in Germany, cooperating closely with the worldview officers of the Protestant regional churches. The EZW aims to contribute to Christian orientation in religious and ideological pluralism, promote appropriate dialogue with non-believers and those of other faiths, and inform about developments and trends in Germany's religious landscape. Its research focuses are currently handled in five departments: Department 1: Fundamental questions, currents of secular and religious zeitgeist, evangelicalism and Pentecostal-charismatic Christianity (Martin Fritz); Department 2: Islam and other non-Christian religions, new religious movements, Eastern spirituality, interreligious dialogue (Rüdiger Braun); Department 3a: Psychological aspects of new religiosity, religion and health (Michael Utsch); Department 3b: Christian special communities and the life-help market (Katharina Portmann); Department 4: Esotericism and conspiracy narratives (Judith Maria Bodendörfer).

• 2022

  EZW-Texte series becomes available digitally for download.

• 2001

  Publication of a book overview of the contemporary panorama of new religiosity (2nd edition 2005).

• 1995

  The EZW moves to Berlin-Mitte.

• 1970

  The journal Materialdienst begins publication (six times a year).

• 1960

  Founding of the EZW by the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) as successor to the Apologetic Centrale.

• 1937

  Forcible closure of the Apologetic Centrale by the National Socialists.

• 1921

  Founding of the Berlin Apologetic Central Office (Apologetische Centrale), predecessor of the EZW.

Central apologetic research, documentation and information office of the Evangelical Church in Germany, providing orientation in religious and ideological pluralism.

• Materialdienst. Zeitschrift für Religions- und Weltanschauungsfragen (now Zeitschrift für Religion und Weltanschauung, ZRW)

  Monthly journal published by the EZW since 1970, ISSN 0721-2402.

• EZW-Texte

  Series of more than 270 individual issues on selected topics, available digitally since 2022, ISSN 0085-0357.

1. 1Evangelische Zentralstelle für Weltanschauungsfragen - EZWezw-berlin.de
2. 2Evangelische Zentralstelle für Weltanschauungsfragenwikidata.org
3. 3Evangelische Zentralstelle für Weltanschauungsfragende.wikipedia.org