Wijngaards Institute

Who we are

The Wijngaards Institute for Catholic Research (WICR) is one of the leading independent think tanks focusing on debated issues in Christian theology.

As a clearing house of theological research, we coordinate leading academics worldwide to cooperate on interdisciplinary research reports tackling the Catholic Church’s officially uncomfortable, difficult, and disputed areas: women’s ordained ministries, Christian sexual ethics, and church authority. These “no-go” areas affect millions of Roman Catholics every day of their lives.

Our research agenda is informed by the latest findings in theology and other relevant disciplines, and is driven by the questions and suggestions of ordinary Catholics from across the world. The experiences and insights of both laypeople and experts help us identify problems and develop solutions to help the Roman Catholic Church reform.

As we know from feedback received, our work also helps Christians in other denominations and non-Christians ministered to by Christian institutions around the world.

We are committed to ensuring that the interdisciplinary reports we produce enjoy the authority assigned to peer-reviewed, evidence-based, and academically rigorous scholarship.

We are an international network of academics. Our projects are coordinated by a team of some paid staff members and dedicated voluntary workers.