Theologische Quartalschrift

Theologische Quartalschrift (ThQ) is a German-language academic journal for all areas of theology, published in Tübingen. It was founded in 1819 by four professors of the Catholic theological faculty at the University of Tübingen — Peter Alois Gratz, Johann Sebastian von Drey, Johann Georg Herbst and Johann Baptist Hirscher — two years after the faculty itself was established. Since then it has appeared without interruption, apart from restrictions during the two World Wars, and is regarded as the oldest still-existing specialist theological journal in the world. The journal publishes four issues per year and is edited by a collegium of professors of Catholic theology at the University of Tübingen. Although it is not formally an organ of the faculty, the privately constituted editorial board in practice comprises the faculty's professors, who represent their disciplines in the journal according to the criteria of research and teaching. An honorary editor is appointed from among the editors on a rotating annual basis. ThQ was founded in the spirit of renewal of Catholic theology in Germany after the destruction of the secularization, and was shaped above all by Johann Sebastian Drey, the founder and 'Nestor' of the Catholic Tübingen School. In the nineteenth century it became the leading journal of academic theology with an international reputation and a model for numerous periodicals founded later in Germany and abroad. Its programmatic guidelines, set out in the announcement of its first issue, commit it to spreading light through scholarly research, reviewing new intellectual productions, and promoting both the pursuit of science and the spirit of Christianity. The editors claim freedom of opinion for themselves and their authors, convinced that truth benefits from many-sided illumination and that thorough results are reached only when every view is free to come forward. Over its long history the journal has been published by a succession of houses: the Laupp'sche Buchhandlung in Tübingen (1819–1927), Filser Verlag (1928–1933), the Bader'sche Buchhandlung in Rottenburg (1933–1945), Schwabenverlag (1946–1968), Wewel Verlag (1968–2005), and again Schwabenverlag in Ostfildern since 2006. Its editorial stance has been characterized as a moderate middle way between rationalism and mysticism, between speculation and history, between tradition and progress, and it has remained open to contributions from non-Catholic authors in an ecumenical and interdisciplinary spirit. In the 2020s ThQ continues to address contemporary questions. Its issue 2/2026 is a thematic number on 'Antisemitismus und Theologie' (Antisemitism and Theology), with contributions examining the persistence and new visibility of antisemitism, especially since 7 October 2023, including subtle and coded forms as well as classic right-wing and extremist expressions. The journal maintains an archive, subscription service, annual indexes and article search on its website.

Theologische Quartalschrift was founded in 1819 by the 'Viererbund' (foursome) of Peter Alois Gratz, Johann Sebastian von Drey, Johann Georg Herbst and Johann Baptist Hirscher, described as 'Professors of Theology, Catholic Faculty, at the Royal University of Tübingen'. It appeared two years after the establishment of the Catholic Theological Faculty at the Eberhard Karls University in Tübingen. Since then it has existed in uninterrupted continuity — with restrictions during the two World Wars — reaching 201 volumes by 2021, and is thus considered the oldest of today's existing specialist theological journals in the world. The journal was called into life under the signs of renewal and new beginning of Catholic theology in Germany after the destruction of the secularization, by the leading representatives of the first generation of the Catholic Tübingen School. Its 'inner attitude and outer form' were determined for a long time by Johann Sebastian Drey as the founder and 'Nestor' of its direction. It was described as 'the great organ of the flourishing Catholic Tübingen School' and as 'the great and inexorable German Areopagus', and in the nineteenth century became the leading journal of academic theology with international renown and a model for numerous periodicals founded after it in Germany and abroad. The programmatic guidelines of the journal are set out in the 'Ankündigung' (announcement) of its appearance in issue 1. The editors committed themselves to spreading more light through their own scholarly research or through gripping presentations in the field of theology, to bringing the newest intellectual productions in the same field to the knowledge of the curious through notices and reviews, and in this way to stimulate the striving for science as well as to enliven the sense for the spirit of Christianity and its fruitful application to minds. They wanted 'everywhere to pay homage only to truth, and to win their readers' homage for it'. For this they claimed for themselves as editors and for their authors the 'freedom of opinion', convinced that just as truth can only gain through many-sided illumination, so in the struggle of opinions and the fermentation of judgments thorough results are reached only when every view is free to come forward and invite its examination. They hoped to prove the 'spirit of this journal before the public as both candid and modest'. Among its constant features in public perception was 'the happily balanced many-sidedness with which the individual contributors granted admission to the fresh influx from contemporary philosophical, theological and profane-historical literature, and no less its increasingly clearly maintained direction of a moderate middle between the rationalism and mysticism of its days, between speculation and history, between tradition and progress'. It was and is the aim of ThQ to advance philosophical and theological research, to take up current questions in ecumenical openness and interdisciplinary orientation, and as a fair forum of scholarly dialogue 'in the spirit of Christianity and Catholicism' to open its columns also to contributions by non-Catholic authors. The journal appears in four issues annually. The editors appoint an honorary editor from among themselves in rotating annual succession. In 2011 the editors were listed as Max Seckler, Hermann Josef Vogt, Norbert Greinacher, Walter Groß, Richard Puza, Gerfried W. Hunold, Dietmar Mieth, Joachim Köhler, Peter Hünermann, Georg Wieland, Michael Theobald, Albert Biesinger, Bernd Jochen Hilberath, Herbert Niehr, Gabriele Winkler, Michael Eckert, Thomas Freyer, Ottmar Fuchs, Andreas Holzem, Hans Reinhard Seeliger, Johannes Brachtendorf, Andreas Odenthal and Franz-Josef Bormann, as 'Professors of Catholic Theology at the University of Tübingen'. ThQ is formally not an organ of the faculty, but the privately constituted editorial collegium currently in fact comprises the professors of this faculty, whose task it is to represent their subject area in their journal according to the criteria of research and teaching. The publishers of ThQ have been: the Laupp'sche Buchhandlung in Tübingen (1819–1927), Filser Verlag (1928–1933), the Bader'sche Buchhandlung in Rottenburg (1933–1945), Schwabenverlag (1946–1968), Wewel Verlag (1968–2005), and since 2006 again Schwabenverlag in Ostfildern. Registers to the journal have been published: a register to the first twenty volumes (1819–1838, Tübingen 1839); a person, place and subject index to volumes I–LXVI (1819–1894), edited by Joseph Schmid (Tübingen 1895); and a register for 1895–1970, edited by Max Seckler (Mainz 1975). Relevant literature includes Paul Schanz's 'Die katholische Tübinger Schule' (ThQ 80, 1898) and Stephan Lösch's 'Die Anfänge der Tübinger Theologischen Quartalschrift (1819–1831)'. In the 2020s the journal continues to publish thematic issues. Issue 2/2026 is dedicated to 'Antisemitismus und Theologie', with an editorial by Elisabeth Migge and Hans Probst and contributions such as Yehoyada Amir's 'Universalistic Particularism: A Theology of Divine Covenant', addressing the dramatic escalation of antisemitism worldwide and its multifaceted forms.

• 2026

  Issue 2/2026 published as a thematic number on 'Antisemitismus und Theologie'.

• 2021

  Reaches 201 volumes, considered the oldest existing specialist theological journal in the world.

• 2006

  Schwabenverlag in Ostfildern becomes publisher again.

• 1975

  Register for 1895–1970, edited by Max Seckler, published in Mainz.

• 1968

  Wewel Verlag becomes publisher (1968–2005).

• 1946

  Schwabenverlag becomes publisher (1946–1968).

• 1933

  Bader'sche Buchhandlung in Rottenburg becomes publisher (1933–1945).

• 1928

  Filser Verlag becomes publisher (1928–1933).

• 1927

  End of publication by the Laupp'sche Buchhandlung in Tübingen (publisher 1819–1927).

• 1895

  Person, place and subject index to volumes I–LXVI (1819–1894), edited by Joseph Schmid, published in Tübingen.

• 1839

  Register to the first twenty volumes (1819–1838) published in Tübingen.

• 1819

  Founded by the 'Viererbund' of Gratz, Drey, Herbst and Hirscher as professors of the Catholic theological faculty at the University of Tübingen.

• 1819

  First issue published with the programmatic 'Ankündigung'.

Leading international academic theology journal with a moderate, ecumenical and interdisciplinary profile, rooted in the Catholic Tübingen School.

• Theologische Quartalschrift quarterly issues

  Four issues per year covering all areas of theology.

• Thematic issues

  Issues devoted to a single theme, e.g. 'Antisemitismus und Theologie' (2/2026).

• Annual indexes (Jahresverzeichnis)

  Annual indexes of published articles, available as PDF.

• Article archive and search

  Online archive and article search on the journal's website.

1. 1ThQ - die theologische Quartalschrift - Startseitethq-online.de
2. 2Theologische Quartalschriftwikidata.org
3. 3Theologische Quartalschriftde.wikipedia.org