• 1965 Born in Stuttgart
• 1980–1985 Attended the “Evangelisches Seminar” in Maulbronn and Blaubeuren and obtained his Abitur (high school diploma)
• 1985–1986 Church social year in Great Britain (Cardiff/Bridport)
• 1986–1993 Studies in Protestant Theology and Political Science in Tübingen and Munich
• 1993–1996 Assistant and doctoral candidate at the Chair of Systematic Theology/Ethics (Trutz Rendtorff) at the University of Munich
• 1997–1999 Vicariate in the Württemberg Regional Church in Boll/Bad Boll/Eckwälden
• 1999–2000 Pastor in Mühlacker
• 2000–2004 Head of Studies at the Protestant Academy Bad Boll in the Department of Youth Education and Working Environment
• 2004–2005 DFG Habilitation Grant and research fellowship at the Institute for Practical Theology/Religious Education (Friedrich Schweitzer) at the University of Tübingen; topic of habilitation thesis: “Political education as a dimension of Protestant religious education”
• April 2005 Appointed assistant professor of Practical Theology with tenure track at the Faculty of Theology, University of Zurich, starting September 1, 2005
• 2009 Habilitation and venia legendi at the Faculty of Theology of the University of Tübingen
• 2010 First place on the list and call to the Faculty of Protestant Theology at the University of Göttingen (rejected)
• Juni 2010 Co-founder and Chairman of the Board of the Center for Church Development (ZKE)
• Since 2011 Professor of Practical Theology (Religious Education, Church Theory, and Pastoral Theology) at the University of Zurich
• 2016 Ranked first on the list at the Faculty of Theology at Humboldt University in Berlin (procedure discontinued)
• 2017–2018 Research Fellow at the School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh, UK
• Since January 1, 2021 Director of the University Research Priority Program “Digital Religion(s). Communication, Interaction, and Transformation in the Digital Society” (www.digitalreligions.uzh.ch)

• Dean of the Faculty of Theology (August 1, 2014 – July 31, 2016) Vice Dean of Studies, Faculty of Theology (August 1, 2012 – July 31, 2014)
• Member of the LLBM Coordination Conference (Teacher Training for Upper Secondary Schools) and Conference of Upper Secondary School Subjects
• Member of the LLBM Coordination Conference (Teacher Training for Upper Secondary Schools) and Conference of Upper Secondary School Subjects
• Advisory board for issues relating to the training and further education of teachers for upper secondary schools
• Member of the Contact Group on Religions of the Department of Education of the Canton of Zurich
• Member of the interfaculty advertising commission for theology studies
• Member of the concordat commission “Quereinstieg ins Pfarramt” (lateral entry into the ministry)
• Member of various examination commissions for the subject “Religion and Culture”
• Member of the Zurich “Center for Religion, Economy, and Politics” (ZRWP)
• Expert for the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)

• Religious Education Association of German-speaking Switzerland, Position paper on the partnership (Sozietät) (in German) (PDF, 156 KB)
• Scientific Society for Theology (WGTh)
• Swiss Theological Society (SThG)
• International Academy of Practical Theology (IAPT)
• International Seminar on Religious Education and Values (ISREV)
• Society for Religious Education (GwR e. V.)
• International Network for Research and Development of Confirmation and Christian Youth Work
• International Association for the Study of Youth Ministry (IASYM)
• Ernst Troeltsch Society
• AK Empirical Practical Theology of the WGTh
• Advisory Board of the Conference of German-speaking Pastoral Theologians e. V.

• Member of the “Bildungsforum” (Education Forum= of the Evangelical Church of Switzerland Swiss (EKS)
• Co-President of the Board of Trustees of Sozialwerke Pfarrer Sieber (SWS) (2008–2018)
• Alumni Association of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Zurich
• Lions Club Hirsau

All publications (PDF, 510 KB)
 (As of July 23, 2025)

Publications by Thomas Schlag at the
Index Theologicus

2024

Schlag, Thomas (2024).
Religiöse Praxis in post-digitalen Zeiten, in: religion.ch, 13.02.2024.

2023

Schlag, Thomas (2023).
«Religionen, Kulturen, Ethik: Ab wann überschreitet staatlicher Religionsunterricht die Religionsfreiheit?» Ein Interview mit Prof. Dr. Thomas Schlag und Dr. Philipp Het-manczyk von Christoph Stapfer, in: religion.ch, 07.11.2023.

2008

Schlag, Thomas &  Neuberth, Rudi (2008).
Konfirmandenunterricht in der Schweiz, in:  Schweitzer, Friedrich; Elsenbast, Volker. Internationale Perspektiven der Konfirmandenarbeit, Münster.

2006

Schlag Thomas (2006).
Beteiligung kann gelingen ... aber wie?, in: Evangelisches Jugendwerk Stuttgart (Hg.), Demokratie? Ist machbar! Stuttgart, 10-13.

1998

Schlag, Thomas (1998).
Lexikonartikel in: Biser, Eugen. (Hg), Welt Gottes – Welt des Menschen. Handbuch des christlichen Glaubens. Augsburg 1998, zu: Demokratisierung der Kirche; Dialektische Theologie; Jugend; Jugendreligion; Jugendsekten; Kapitalismus; Melanchthon; Menschenwürde und Menschenrechte; Nächstenliebe; Religionsunterricht; Scientology; Seelsorge; Segen; Taufbefehl; Taufe; Täuferbewegung; Volk Gottes, 1998.