Videos and Podcasts

Universalism, World Domination, and Human Ethics (06.2025)

June 5, 2025 | Catholic Academy Berlin

On June 5, 2025, Prof. Dr. Stein, together with Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Huber and Prof. Dr. Matthias Bormuth, presented Prof. Dr. Hans Joas' new book "Universalism: World Domination and Human Ethos" at the Catholic Academy in Berlin. In his book, Joas examines the emergence of the human ethos from a global perspective, from the Axial Age to the modern era. He considers its connection to the formation of imperial empires and questions the relationship between universalism and imperialism. The lectures and discussion can be accessed online here.

The Pope and Time – A Symposium with Otto Kallscheuer (01.2025)

January 30, 2025 | Karl Rahner Academy

On January 30, 2025, the symposium on Otto Kallscheuer's work "Pope and Time. Salvation History and World Politics," in media partnership with the Gerda Henkel Foundation's science portal L.I.S.A., which recorded the event. Otto Kallscheuer's work has placed the debate about the Catholic Church and the papacy on a new footing. The Catholic Church is presented here as a unique religious community and institution: endangered, paradoxical, anachronistic, and at the same time resilient, focused on unity, and indispensable as an actor in world history. Prof. Dr. Stein discussed this topic in a forum on problematic solutions to the relationship between the Church and modernity, together with other experts from the fields of theology, history, and political science. A recording of the symposium can be accessed here.

Panel discussion on the relationship between religion and the Basic Law (10.2024)

October 30, 2024 | Haus am Dom, Frankfurt am Main

On October 30, 2024, Prof. Dr. Tine Stein took part in a panel discussion on the topic "What do Halacha, Christian law, and Sharia say about democracy and the rule of law? 75 years of the Basic Law and the relationship between religion and the Basic Law" at Haus am Dom in Frankfurt am Main. The event was organized by the Hessian State Agency for Civic Education and the Association "Forum for Intercultural Dialogue". The discussion was also published in full on YouTube.

What makes a resilient democracy? (08.2024)

Tine Stein gave an interview on the necessity of a resilient democracy as part of the University of Regensburg's "Pillars of Democracy" series.

"Cohesion through Conflict" (11.2023)

November 16, 2023 | Catholic Academy Berlin

At the event "So Much God: On the Relevance of Political Theologies," which took place on November 16, 2023, at the Catholic Academy Berlin as part of the interreligious program "Cohesion through Conflict" on November 16, 2023, at the Catholic Academy Berlin, Tine Stein discussed the question of whether criteria can be derived from biblical narratives that can be used to gain different, but not arbitrary, updates for contemporary political issues. Input and discussion can be listened to here.

RHI Talk: "Why shouldn't we overdo democracy?" is now available online (01.2024)

November 15, 2023 | Roman Herzog Institute

As part of a symposium held by the Roman Herzog Institute on the topic of "Perspectives on Democracy," Martin Beckstein asked in his presentation on November 15, 2023, why more democracy is not always better. Find out what answer he came up with and what "Grandma's plum crumble" has in common with democracy here.

Interview with Martin Beckstein: "The alliance's program meets all the criteria of a populist party" (10.2023)

October 24, 2023 | Welt TV

Against the backdrop of Sahra Wagenknecht's announcement that she would be founding a new party, PD Dr. Martin Beckstein was asked for his assessment by Welt TV on October 24.

Fundamental rights and democratic foundations in the light of St. Paul's Church (06.2023)

June 26, 2023 | Goethe University Frankfurt

As part of the lecture series at Goethe University Frankfurt entitled "The Structure of Democracy. History, Present, and Future of St. Paul's Church as a Political Symbol," Tine Stein gave a lecture on "Fundamental Rights and Democratic Foundations in Light of St. Paul's Church." The lecture is available here.

The Future Viability of Democracy Revisited (May 2023)

May 12, 2023 | University of Freiburg and Heinrich Böll Foundation

Tine Stein gave a lecture on the topic "The Future Viability of Democracy Revisited: Hans Jonas' Principle of Responsibility from a Democratic Theory Perspective" at the University of Freiburg on May 12, 2023, as part of the event "On the Continued Livability of the World" organized by the Catholic Academy in cooperation with the University of Freiburg and the Heinrich Böll Foundation Baden-Württemberg. She also participated in a panel discussion. The lecture is available here.

Competition or complementarity? (11.2022)

November 10, 2022 | University of Würzburg

Tine Stein gave a lecture on "Competition or Complementarity? On the Political Science Determination of the Relationship between State and Churches in Constitutional Democracy." The lecture from November 10, 2022, is available here.

Are there rights in nature? (11.2022)

November 9, 2022 | "Frankfurt Debates" at the Romanfabrik

On November 9, 2022, Tine Stein and Frank Adloff gave a presentation and led a discussion on the topic "Are there rights in nature?" as part of the "Frankfurt Debates" at the Romanfabrik. The discussion was moderated by Claus Leggewie and can be found as a video here.

Public evening lecture by Dr. Reinhard Loske (09.2022)

September 29, 2022 | 5:00 p.m. | Green Hall of the Historic Observatory

As part of the DFG project "Politics and Ethics of Finitude", we cordially invite you to a public evening lecture followed by a discussion: Dr. Reinhard Loske will speak on Thursday, September 29, 2022, at 5 p.m. (c.t.) in the Green Hall, Historic Observatory (Geismar Landstr. 11, 37083 Göttingen) on the topic of "Finiteness, limitation, renunciation: Are the political taboos of consumer democracies falling one after another in the face of multiple contemporary crises?" The digital livestream of the lecture can be found here.

Claus Offe, Alexander Somek: "Constitutional and Political Theory" by Ernst-Wolfgang Böckenförde" (10.2017)

October 17, 2017 | IWM Library Vienna

Ernst Wolfgang Böckenförde, a prominent European legal scholar and political thinker, is the subject of a discussion on his writings on constitutional and political theory. The event at the IWM Library will be moderated by Claus Offe and Alexander Somek and introduced by the editors of the book.

Germany in good shape? An interview with Tine Stein (September 2015)

September 28, 2015 | Heinrich Böll Foundation

In 1991, the Board of Trustees published a draft constitution for the united Federal Republic, which was only implemented in the state constitutions. Tine Stein, Managing Director of the Board of Trustees, speaks in an interview.