Ulrich Lehner
Department of Theology
William K. Warren Professor
- The papacy
- Vatican councils and conclaves
- Pope Benedict XVI
- History of Catholicism after 1500
- Catholicism and the Enlightenment
- 20th-century German history
- German Catholic Church
- Catholic Church and Naziism
- Global Catholic history
- Catholic eschatology
Lehner’s Latest News
Lehner in the News
Slate
The Politics of Being Pope Francis
January 20, 2023
Making things more tenuous, according to Ulrich Lehner, a theology professor at the University of Notre Dame, Francis has rejected the typical practice of using the College of Cardinals as an advisory board in favor of consulting a small circle of trusted advisers.
USA Today
Fact check: Pope’s death confirmed with traditional means, not hammer
January 11, 2023
The claim that a hammer is used for tapping on the pope's head is “a legend," though one that has been "repeated countless times as early as the 1850s," said Ulrich Lehner, a University of Notre Dame theology professor.
Fox 5 New York
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s reported last words: ‘Lord, I love you’
Video
January 01, 2023
Pope Benedict XVI died Saturday at the age of 95, according to the Vatican. Ulrich Lehner with the University of Notre Dame spoke with LiveNOW from FOX's Josh Breslow about the retired pope's legacy.
First Things
How to be critical
December 05, 2022
Ulrich L. Lehner is the William K. Warren Professor at the University of Notre Dame and the author of Think Better: Unlocking the Power of Reason.
USA Today
A bunny, eggs and Jesus: How Easter became a holiday full of symbolism
April 14, 2022
"It's the church's highest feast, because, without it, there will be no church," Ulrich Lehner, theology professor at the University of Notre Dame, told USA TODAY.
The American Conservative
Focusing With Philosophy
February 08, 2022
Ulrich L. Lehner is the William K. Warren Professor at the University of Notre Dame.
The Wall Street Journal
Retired Pope Benedict XVI Asks for Forgiveness Over Handling of Sex-Abuse Cases
February 08, 2022
“A calm assessment of his time in Munich shows that he could have and should have made the oversight of priests his priority and scaled back on other engagements. Based on flawed judgment, he trusted fellow priests who let him down, and who covered up abuse and enabled abuse,” said Ulrich Lehner, a professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame.
The Pillar
Reason, faith, and why your brain is not a computer
December 03, 2021
Dr. Ulrich Lehner is the William K. Warren Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame and the bestselling author of “God Is Not Nice.”