Examining how Christian theologies came to be represented at German state universities shows that concordats—agreements between the churches and the (federal) states—have been the primary means by which theological faculties were established. As a result, the presence of theology as a scientific discipline at secular universities in the twentieth century has largely depended on contractual arrangements. This has significant consequences for German theology. Because these contracts depend on the continuing will of two parties—the churches and the states—it is reasonable to conclude that these actors have exercised substantial influence over the development of academic theology in Germany. Moreover, theology's future within secular university contexts depends on their ongoing agreement. Accordingly, today's shifting relationship between church and state has significant implications for theology as an academic discipline worthy closer analysis. This paper therefore (1) analyzes how the contractual form has shaped the development of academic Christian theology at German universities, and (2) examines how this influence is currently unfolding in debates about the future of theology at state universities. On this basis, (3) it draws a connection between Christian and Jewish theology, asking what their shared dependence on contracts reveals about the distinctive institutional form of "theology" grounded in agreements between religious communities and secular state actors. It asks what it means for Jewish theology to function as a university department under similar contract-mediated conditions—particularly with respect to epistemic legitimacy, academic freedom, governance, and public trust.