Culture wars in the USA: Conference in Eichstätt highlights explosive topics

Culture wars in the USA: Conference in Eichstätt highlights explosive topics

Something exciting is about to happen in Eichstätt. From February 26th to 28th, 2026, Prof. Dr. Benjamin Dahlke from the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt and Prof. Dr. Marco Hofheinz from the Institute for Evangelical Theology at Leibniz University Hannover invited to an interdisciplinary conference. The topic? It's all about the “culture wars” in the USA. This term, coined by James Davison Hunter, focuses on the ethical and sociopolitical disputes that have raged in the United States since the 1960s.

The conference will not only take a closer look at the politicization of religion, but also how religion is instrumentalized in political discourses. Among other things, concise examples such as the debates about abortion rights and the political views of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Charlie Kirk are discussed. The aim is to analyze the complex relationships between Christian religion and politics in the context of the culture wars in both the USA and Europe. These developments are also important for us in Bavaria, because they reflect social trends that have long influenced our everyday lives.

Cultural competencies in education

But cultural sensitivity is not only required in social and political discussions. In the education sector, teachers must increasingly be culturally responsive and competent. According to an article by Yvonne Pratt-Johnson of St. John's University in New York, English is spoken as a second language by approximately 5.4 million children in the United States. Projections show that by 2030, around 40 percent of school-age children will have a first language other than English. This creates the need for teachers to communicate effectively in culturally and linguistically diverse contexts.

In this context, Pratt-Johnson identifies six key cultural differences that teachers should be aware of to avoid misunderstandings. These include different methods of acquiring knowledge, different approaches to problem solving and, last but not least, different styles of non-verbal communication. These findings make it clear that cultural competence plays a key role in the educational process. Teachers should not only pay attention to their students' academic performance, but also respect and understand their cultural backgrounds in order to promote their academic and personal success.

Public discussion and outlook

The upcoming “Culture Wars” conference and the topics surrounding cultural competence will shed light on the challenges that an increasingly diverse society must face. How do we deal with different cultures in our daily lives? What responsibility do we have as citizens and as a society to promote a respectful and inclusive culture of discussion? These are questions that should find a place not only in academic spaces, but also in our local communities.

The exchange of experiences, mutual understanding and the ability to operate in culturally sensitive contexts are crucial for a harmonious society. It remains to be seen what new impulses the conference in Eichstätt will provide in order to meet these challenges and stimulate a broader discussion. Here we have the opportunity to actively participate and bring our perspectives into the exchange.

For anyone interested, further information about the conference is available on the website of the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt. ku.de reports that ... The discussion about cultural competence among teachers and learners is not only an American topic, but also of great relevance for us here in Bavaria, as Yvonne Pratt-Johnson highlights iteslj.org shows that ….