Zwischen Bekenntnis und Demokratie: Das Problem der Lehrentscheidung in der Volkskirche
Any attempt to analyse and systematize the themes involved in this area of church doctrine raises significant problems of definition. We need to be careful not to confuse the debate by mixing up matters which do not properly belong together. Statements of church doctrine can hardly be subject to or...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | German |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht
1995
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| In: |
Kirchliche Zeitgeschichte
Year: 1995, Volume: 8, Issue: 1, Pages: 117-127 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
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| Summary: | Any attempt to analyse and systematize the themes involved in this area of church doctrine raises significant problems of definition. We need to be careful not to confuse the debate by mixing up matters which do not properly belong together. Statements of church doctrine can hardly be subject to or verified by any form of democratic consensus. All volkskirchliche structures have been faced with difficulties in maintaining the integrity of their doctrinal decision, especially when based on a protestant view of the church. Today many important concepts and doctrinal positions are being challenged. Pluralism, both in the church and in society, is being recognised as an important, and in the long run unavoidable, fact, and so affects our daily church life. Traditional views and practices have to be rethought. Of course the text of Holy Scripture must retain its place as the fundamental basis of belief, even when there are many variations to be reckoned with in our present situation. We must resolutely condemn both wilful arbitrary interpretations and sterile dogmatism. True doctrine must be understood, affirmed, and lived. Of course the traditional formularies of the ancient church and of the Reformation period, just like the biblical texts themselves, need interpretation. We have to ensure both continuity and renewal in a challenging dialectic relationship. The idea of Volkskirche is not significant in itself, but guidance from the church leadership and from the theological reflections of synods must be continued. We cannot simply abandon these responsibilities, or dismiss these fundamentals in a negative or critical manner. Only thus can we hope to maintain the peculiar balance between openness and freedom of thought on the one hand, and loyalty to the past and authority on the other. |
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| ISSN: | 2196-808X |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Kirchliche Zeitgeschichte
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