Daniela Müller (born July 10, 1957) is a German theologian and church historian. She is a full professor in the History of Christianity and Canon Law at

Radboud University Radboud University (abbreviated as RU, , formerly ) is a public research university located in Nijmegen, Netherlands. RU has seven faculties and more than 24,000 students. Established in 1923, Radboud University has consistently been included in ...

, and has published extensively on the subjects of

heresy Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, particularly the accepted beliefs or religious law of a religious organization. A heretic is a proponent of heresy. Heresy in Heresy in Christian ...

and

dissidents A dissident is a person who actively challenges an established political or religious system, doctrine, belief, policy, or institution. In a religious context, the word has been used since the 18th century, and in the political sense since the 2 ...

. Her work focuses on "the concepts of orthodoxy and heterodoxy and on the history of dissident communities."

Biography

Müller studied

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

History History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...

and Catholic

Theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

in Würzburg. Subsequently, she pursued a

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

on the

ecclesiology In Christian theology, ecclesiology is the study of the Church, the origins of Christianity, its relationship to Jesus, its role in salvation, its polity, its discipline, its eschatology, and its leadership. In its early history, one of th ...

of the

Albigensians Catharism ( ; from the , "the pure ones") was a Christian quasi-dualist and pseudo-Gnostic movement which thrived in Southern Europe, particularly in northern Italy and southern France, between the 12th and 14th centuries. Denounced as a her ...

. In 1996 followed her

habilitation Habilitation is the highest university degree, or the procedure by which it is achieved, in Germany, France, Italy, Poland and some other European and non-English-speaking countries. The candidate fulfills a university's set criteria of excelle ...

on these subjects, with a ''venia legendi'' for history of

canon law Canon law (from , , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical jurisdiction, ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its membe ...

. From 1998 onward, she was a visiting professor

Canon Law Canon law (from , , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical jurisdiction, ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its membe ...

at the

University of Münster The University of Münster (, until 2023 , WWU) is a public research university located in the city of Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. With more than 43,000 students and over 120 fields of study in 15 departments, it is Germany's ...

. She then moved to a university in the Netherlands when in 2001 she took up the chair for Church History at the Catholic University of Utrecht. In 2009, she became a professor in the history of christianity at the Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies at

Research

Her research interests are

and the interweaving of

and

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

. The point of departure of her research is the connection between historical, theological and legal aspects. The focus is on the interaction of the competing models of interpretation within

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

, whereby

orthodoxy Orthodoxy () is adherence to a purported "correct" or otherwise mainstream- or classically-accepted creed, especially in religion. Orthodoxy within Christianity refers to acceptance of the doctrines defined by various creeds and ecumenical co ...

and

heterodoxy In religion, heterodoxy (from Ancient Greek: , + , ) means "any opinions or doctrines at variance with an official or orthodox position". ''Heterodoxy'' is also an ecclesiastical jargon term, defined in various ways by different religions and ...

are not regarded as contrary, but as a continuing process of the development of learning within Christianity. The disputes concerning the different interpretations of the teachings are the driving force of the development of the spiritual culture of Europe, long before the

Enlightenment Enlightenment or enlighten may refer to: Age of Enlightenment * Age of Enlightenment, period in Western intellectual history from the late 17th to late 18th century, centered in France but also encompassing (alphabetically by country or culture): ...

Selected bibliography

* ''Frauen vor der Inquisition''. Lebensform, Glaubenszeugnis und Aburteilung der deutschen und französischen Katharerinnen. (Veröffentlichungen des Instituts für Europäische Geschichte Mainz, Abt. Abendländische Religionsgeschichte, ed. Von G. MAY, Bd. 166), Mainz 1996. * ''Ketzer und Ketzerverfolgung'', in: Lexikon zur Geschichte der Hexenverfolgung, eds. von G.Gersmann/K. Moeller/J.-M. Schmitt * ''Schuld und Sünde, Sühne und Strafe''. Strafvorstellungen der mittelalterlichen Kirche und ihre rechtlichen Konsequenzen (Schriftenreihe des Zentrums für rechtswissenschaftliche Grundlagenforschung Würzburg 1), Baden-Baden 2009. * ''Gott und seine zwei Frauen''. Der Teufel bei den Katharern, In: Interdisziplinäre Hexenforschung online 3, 2011: Teuflische Beziehungen - teuflische Gestalten. Der dämonische Kontrapunkt des Hexenglaubens * ''Ketzer und Kirche''. Beobachtungen aus zwei Jahrtausenden (Christentum und Dissidenz 1), Münster 2014. * ''Frauen und Häresie''. Europas christliches Erbe (Christentum und Dissidenz 2), Münster 2015. * ''The Making of a Cathar Counter-Church, the 'Ecclesia dei', through the Consolamentum Ritual (Baptism of the Holy Spirit)'', In: Bibliothèque de la Revue d'Histoire Ecclésiastique, 106, 2020, 119–161.

External links

Profile page at Radboud University Nijmegen

Center for Catholic Studies

CIRCAED

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Muller, Daniela Living people Academic staff of Radboud University Nijmegen 21st-century German Christian theologians Heresy in Christianity 1957 births 20th-century German historians 21st-century German historians 20th-century German theologians 21st-century German theologians