Project Profile Pastoral Care and Mental Health

The project aims to establish, on a sustainable basis, a quality-assured and openly licensed teaching program in pastoral care. This program systematically integrates digital developments and aspects of mental health into university and church-based educational contexts.

The lecture “Pastoral Care and Mental Health,” developed at Heidelberg University, will be transformed into a quality-assured Open Educational Resource (OER).

The recorded materials will be didactically restructured, developed into digital learning resources, and supplemented with interactive elements. The result is an openly accessible learning program for students, pastoral practitioners, and the broader public. It enables a well-founded and contemporary engagement with pastoral care, mental health, and digital practice.

The project has strong transfer potential beyond practical theology. It connects pastoral perspectives with psychology, social work, educational science, and media ethics.

As an Open Educational Resource, it supports mental health, prevention, and resilience across university, church-based, school, and non-church contexts. Its open licensing strengthens knowledge transfer in line with the principles of the Third Mission.