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Today the General Assembly of the German Bishops’ ConferenceOne of the topics: the future of theology in Germany. It is important that the bishops talk about it – because they and the church as an institution are closely connected to the subject. Church university law states that “theology is by its nature a church-related and church-bound science”. This is why bishops are involved in Nihil-obstat procedures and send representatives to final examinations for prospective teachers. Under these conditions, it is not easy to assert oneself as a theology at state universities and To arouse interest in this subject – especially in times when only few young people can imagine a job in the church.
The bishops can react to this phenomenon in various ways: First, they could withdraw from state universities to church-run colleges. Some see Cardinal Woelki in this way because his project, the KHKT, would weaken the state faculty in Bonn.
Secondly, they could concentrate priest training on a few state faculties. In this case, many other faculties would have to close in the long term because their funding by the states is only guaranteed if they are a location for priest training.
Thirdly, they could develop a new vision of what role the church can play for theology and theology for the church in the 21st century. If the bishops were to give up their old rights, they could gain a real counterpart: an honest theology in which scientists in qualification theses and students in final examinations could openly and freely represent their positions with their arguments. Under such conditions, asking the central questions about God and man – that would be an exciting undertaking that would certainly motivate young people in the future too.
The author
Simon Linder works as a research assistant at the Chair of Practical Theology at the University of Tübingen. He holds a doctorate in Catholic theology and a degree in general rhetoric. He is currently researching the topic of “assisted suicide”.
Notice
The point of view reflects exclusively the opinion of the respective author.
