The Second Annual Benedictus Awards Ceremony at Lambach Abbey

The Benedictus Awards ceremony took place in July in Lambach at the Benedictine Abbey’s summer refectory.

The award winners along with Bishop Scheuer, Abbot Maximilian and Prof. Feldbauer-Durstmüller; Photo: JKU
The award winners along with Bishop Scheuer, Abbot Maximilian and Prof. Feldbauer-Durstmüller; Photo: JKU

During the ceremony, authors introduce the collective volume "Unternehmen, Organisationen und Werte: Ein Diskurs aus betriebswirtschaftlicher, theologischer und religionswissenschaftlicher Perspektive".

Following opening remarks by Prof. Birgit Feldbauer-Durstmüller (head of the JKU’s Institute for Controlling and Consulting), and Abbot Maximilian Neulinger OSB, the editorial team introduced the collective volume compiled in cooperation with the Institute for Controlling and Consulting and the Center for Intercultural Theology and Study of Religions at the Paris Lodron University Salzburg. The work was published by Peter Lang Publishing as part of the series "Salzburger interdisziplinäre Diskurse". Prof. Feldbauer-Durstmüller spoke about the publication’s history, and Prof. Franz Gmainer-Pranzl (head of the Center for Intercultural Theology and the Study of Religions) praised the efforts and accomplishments of those who participated in the work by detailing the collective volume’s main content, namely research assistants from both participating institutes that include Mag. Sarah Pieslinger, BA, B.Rel.Ed.Univ., MA, and Mag. Julia Feldbauer, B.Ed.Univ.

The Benedictus Awards ceremony took place during the latter half of the evening. The award is presented in recognition of outstanding academic/scientific and pre-scientific activities focusing especially on issues regarding the church and business, as well as theology with a focus on Benedictine women. Junior theologians also benefit from support services as well. Before Bishop Manfred Scheuer presented the award to the recipients in the presence of the jury (represented by Univ. Prof. Feldbauer-Durstmüller and Abbot Maximilian Neulinger OSB), the award recipients had an opportunity to present their outstanding work to those in attendance at the ceremony.

Dr. Elisabeth Höftberger was presented with the main award for her dissertation titled "Dynamisierung kirchlicher Tradition jenseits von Bruch und Kontinuität. Eine fundamentaltheologische Theorie der Rezeption und Hermeneutik des Zweiten Vatikanischen Konzils im Kontext der Israeltheologie und des jüdisch-christlichen Dialogs". In addition, honors were presented to two internationally oriented scholars in recognition of their publications.

Georg Balthasar Deinhammer, a graduate of the Stiftsgymnasium Lambach, was the recipient of a new award (the second edition of the Benedictus Award) presented in recognition of a pre-scientific paper. His paper titled "Theodizee aus prozesstheologischer Sicht" also won the Catholic Private University of Linz’ KUL Award.

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