Unchurched

As a church far away or standing are in the parlance of pastors and Christian communities persons or population groups referred, facing the church indifferent or hostile, but you still officially belong (sometimes called " birth certificate - Christians" or nominal Christians ).

Current Situation

According to research by Paul Zulehner and other pastoral theologians, this is by no means synonymous with a lack of belief in God or a higher being, but can also sociologically conditioned (eg in parts of the labor movement ) or negative experiences with representatives of the church or individual believers.

Various surveys among young people often occupy a strong interest in ethical issues in metaphysics or questions about the meaning of life. In a life after death believe, for example, in Austria ( News Salzb. October 2010 ) about two-thirds of the respondents, however, some in the form of a possible rebirth. Something stronger is the belief in a " higher being ", but not necessarily in a personal God.

The data published in the church abuse cases have indeed leave the church temporarily increased, but also the vigilance against such cases in general. This increased sensitivity is partially credited with the church.

" The believers, but church away "

The members of development in the churches of the Christian Occident is in the national churches for years to decline, albeit at most churches Worldwide the number of members increases. Actual numbers for Germany called an article of Time June 24, 2010 Then, in the last 100 years took the population share of church members -. Protestant as Catholic - greatly from. Now there are less than 30 percent in each group who belong to at least formally, one of the two churches.

In 2005 returned 121,000 Catholics and 169,000 Protestants their church back (these figures have since - with the exception of 2010 - does not change much ). One part is compensated by re-entries, but from 1990-2008, the members about -2.5 or -3.8 million balance. For a more accurate picture of which, however, the number of baptisms, and funerals crossings would confront.

The emotional bond also dropped. So feel after surveys only every second of about 25 million Catholics with the official church connected. Among the Protestants, this percentage has traditionally been slightly lower.

The current situation highlights a recent survey, in the spring of 2010. Afterwards, think about a 20-25 % leaving the church after, including as much as 19 percent of those who describe themselves as " deeply religious ." In June arose the opinion research institute Allensbach that feel of the Catholics, only 54 percent of the church connected, but of these 37 per cent quite critical.

Typology of church membership

For the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD ), the Protestant pastor Gerald Kretzschmar explored the binding forces between the Church and society. In his book on church affiliation, he analyzes including the data of the fourth EKD survey due to the following typology of evangelical Christians in Germany:

The partially paradoxical survey results can be related to the fact that the church inquired bond after consent degree to statements about Christian religion and church was measured, the interaction of church affiliation and religiosity, however, are too complex for such polls after Kretzschmar. Part of the effect ( 2) may be caused by approval of the social commitment of the Church.

A representative survey of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in West and East Germany in 2003 showed that 70 percent of respondents feel connected to the church - which, however, the percentage of churchgoers contradicts crass. The EKD was skeptical to do so because they do not even look at the church as expressed solidarity bond. On the other hand, could the 30 percent unchurched have a certain relationship to the church. Kretzschmar therefore proposes a modified binding term which also looks at the social distance in addition to social proximity. The latter leave partially open also from the biography of the respondents.

The survey of members of the EKD is the way for their loyalty at 74 percent, this value being a " slight upward trend " has since 1972. However, many do not define their church relationship on social proximity and rarely visit the Sunday service (usually only on festivals, such as Christmas ), but church officials take actions to complete, estimate the pastor and have their children baptized, of course.

Among Catholics, although the proportion of churchgoers is much higher, but also that of the distanced. The Allensbach survey ( second web link below) assigns 17 percent to the type ( 1), 37 percent see themselves critically church connected and another 32 percent distant church.

Spirituality are distant

Many surveys show that in Europe unchurched not have to mean disbelief. Its causes can be diverse, ranging from church also Childhood and Youth ( no baptism, no religious instruction, leaving the church the parents, atheist milieu, youth club, etc.) of negative experiences with representatives of the church (eg, religious teachers, pastors, funeral, exaggerated religiosity of neighbors ) to the problem of suffering in the world ( theodicy ) and conscious rejection of the Christian image of God. As the German study men and their spirituality ( 2006) shows less of a personal God is inconceivable for long standing who takes part in the lives of men, but rather a creator who does not engage the action ( deism ). Therefore, an underlying research project was called The Invisible Religion church also men.

Previous empirical studies Interview by Paul M. Zulehner and Rainer Volz permit not only percentages qualitative statements (priorities, opinions, attitudes ) to different groups of German and Austrian population (excluding migrants). The answers to given written questions (items) were by scientists into bundles (clusters) compacted and related to each other. They show typical settings to theology and church that are correlated with images of gender role. Zulehner different types of traditional, of uncertain ( undetermined ), the pragmatic and the new captain with very different participation in Sunday worship and church life. Despite decreasing religiosity - especially in gender- democratic " renewed " or younger men - but 60 percent of men describe themselves as "religious " ( 74 percent women, 2 men Austrian study, 2002). Usually there are contradictions between the cognitive level of the questionnaires and statements and the level of experience, the choice of words, nonverbal expressions and the habitus. Exaggeration attracts Zulehner the résumé " secularize men, women spiritualize ".

When are distant hence the question for meaning in life is more useful than those after religiosity. Men recognize mainly such phenomena as meaningful, which are positive interpretable for their biography and increase their ability to act. This rather earthly perspective fits but after Hans Prömper to today's efforts, faith and religion as consenting to the world and as coping with existence within the horizon of transcendent experience to see.

In the view of life, there are big differences between East and West German men and between generations, but not along the confessional boundaries Catholic / Protestant. Common to many of the rejection of church teachings as paternalism, on the other hand, the openness for cosmological and anthropological questions of nature and life, ethics and family.

Depth interviews often promote the notion of a " counter-world " revealed that self-determined "world" (especially professional world and " struggle for survival " ) is intended to supplement towards self-determined times and places. Alternative worlds are visited by men in order to find relief from everyday life, new vitality and meaning to life. Here locate ecclesiastical studies a strong deficit in pastoral care and pastoral when remote -standing associate the Church of the alien determined, unfree -making "world". The modern church must form a socially effective, open counter world to the social and economic developments. The study what men are rightly calls this as a biblical theme to stress and competition the saying of Jesus in Matthew 20:26: "But among you it shall not be so ."

In part, shows the " unchurched " of the men interviewed as a " separation from God ". In their view, God exists (perhaps), but has to do with their real life little. They yearn for healing and wholeness in the experience of contingency, suffering and brokenness; but you know this is not in the message and practice of the Church. Your ( compared to women often wordless ) Openness to transcendence is looking for symbols, Handlunge and rituals that give life depth. Primary would the Church thus creating spiritual spaces in which men with all their senses ( re) learn that God is their life close.