Dr. Yuki Okazaki
Junior Fellow, October 2026 to September 2027
University of Osnabrück
- 2026: PhD in Protestant Theology at Münster University, with a dissertation on theological understanding of history in the work of Emanuel Hirsch (1888–1972)
- 2023-2026: Lecturer in Japanese at Osnabrück University
- Studied Theology at Doshisha University in Kyoto
Fellow project: The Luther Renaissance as an International Theological Network between Germany and Scandinavia
This research project examines the theological movement known as the “Luther Renaissance”, which developed between the 1910s and 1930s as an attempt to build an international network of theologians from Germany and the Scandinavian countries. Originating with Karl Holl, the Luther Renaissance reinterpreted Martin Luther’s theology as a “religion of conscience” and exerted a significant influence on early twentieth‑century Protestant thought.
In contrast to Karl Barth’s Dialectical Theology, the Luther Renaissance developed an alternative theological orientation that emphasized the personal relationship with God and the lived experience of faith. The project aims to (a) clarify the shared concerns and common objectives that supported the international collaboration among Luther Renaissance theologians, and to (b) explain why this cooperation ultimately faltered amid rising nationalism and the politicization of church and theology in the 1930s.
The study draws on contributions by German and Scandinavian theologians published in the Zeitschrift für Systematische Theologie, along with correspondence from key figures such as Emanuel Hirsch, Carl Stange, Anders Nygren, Eduard Geismar, and Torsten Bohlin. Through this analysis, the project seeks to reassess the possibilities and limitations of religious and scholarly networks in interwar Europe and to offer insights for reflecting on contemporary forms of international religious and academic cooperation.