Kriterien für den Status Confessionis in ökumenischer Sicht
The term "Status Confessionis" has become a subject of theological controversy in ecumenical circles today. Its origins stem from Luther's doctrinal writings; it found a renaissance in the resistance of the Confessing Church during the Nazi era, and from this background was taken up a...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | German |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht
1996
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| In: |
Kirchliche Zeitgeschichte
Year: 1996, Volume: 9, Issue: 2, Pages: 307-318 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | The term "Status Confessionis" has become a subject of theological controversy in ecumenical circles today. Its origins stem from Luther's doctrinal writings; it found a renaissance in the resistance of the Confessing Church during the Nazi era, and from this background was taken up again in the conflicts over such matters as atomic armaments and in the struggle against Apartheid. The fact that it could be used in such different circumstances, of which only the most significant are discussed here, clearly points to the need for some clarification of the term. According to the quotation from the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 5, verse 29: "We must obey God rather than men". But this binding injunction for the church should not be confused with, or treated as applicable to, mere differences of opinion on political and ethical questions. For it is clear that the ecumenical unity of the church will be destroyed if this weapon of the "Status Confessionis" is used too quickly or superficially. In this essay, I seek to draw up criteria for the use of this term. We have to remember that even in the church there have always been differences of opinion, and always will be. What happens when such differences affect the central doctrinal positions of the church? What do we mean by a "Confession of Faith" or by affirming its absolute and binding nature? Is this to be limited only to matters of faith, as over heresy, or is there such a thing as an "ethical Confession"? These problems and issues are discussed here with reference to Dietrich Bonhoeffer's essay from 1933, "The Church and the Jewish question", and are examined in the light of the situation which arose during the Third Reich. Despite all the differences, I claim that there are parallels between the racism of those days and the Apartheid of more recent years. The criteria worked out by Bonhoeffer are valuable in assessing the present situation, and allow us to determine the circumstances in which it is proper to invoke the term "Status Confessionis", as well as those in which it would not be appropriate to do so. In my view, the church is called to make use of these criteria in an ecumenically responsible way, whenever this would serve the cause of Justice and Peace. |
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| ISSN: | 2196-808X |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Kirchliche Zeitgeschichte
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