Public Protestantism

The topic of “church and politics” is always relevant. Today, both spheres refer to each other, whereas in the past they were often intertwined. For a long time, the Roman Catholic Church claimed supremacy of spiritual power over secular power. The Reformation sought to distinguish and separate the two. Currently, Christian churches, Muslim associations, and the Central Council of Jews (Zentralrat der Juden) in Germany are committed to strengthening liberal democracy. However, there are also religious actors who support authoritarian political systems. Due to the very different national traditions and constitutional situations, this article focuses on the situation in Germany.

• Religion
• Society

“CSU is playing tricks with a symbol of faith.” This is the title of a guest article published on April 2018 by the Munich emeritus professor of theology Friedrich Wilhelm Graf  in the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. Graf comments on the Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder’s decision to have crosses hung up in Bavarian government buildings. He recounts the history of the symbol of the cross, clarifies its meaning within Christian religious culture, and reaches the conclusion that the state government is misusing the cross “for very superficial political purposes.”

The example of Graf’s article shows how theology can participate in a public debate on a current political issue in a comprehensible, relevant, and stimulating manner. This is precisely what public theology reflects upon and strives for: the public relevance of theological discourse and the theological engagement with pressing issues in the public sphere. Public theology reflects on how theology is public.

As such, public theology is not a new theological discipline alongside church history, biblical studies, practical, and systematic theology. Nor can it be reduced to ethics. Rather, it emphasizes the cross-sectional (Querschnittsaufgabe) task of theology to reflect upon its public character. Public theology also does not offer a political agenda for the Church or represent a new school of theological thought. It is more so a discourse in which different perspectives are brought to bear on questions of public relevance.

• Society
• Systematic Theology