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The Lutheran World Federation
Lutheran World Information |
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| 27.02.2003 |
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| Churches Need Change of Perspective |
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Christians Should Not Be Reticent to Say Who They Are, Theology Professor Says
VIENNA, Austria/GENEVA, 27 February 2003 (LWI) - Dr Susanne Heine, professor of theology at the University of Vienna, has called for a “change of perspective” in the churches. They still have an opportunity “to be taken seriously as a source of information on religious questions,” within the pluralistic context, said Heine who teaches Practical Theology and Psychology of Religion at the Protestant Faculty of Theology. She spoke at the opening on Sunday, 23 February, of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) European Pre-Assembly Consultation (PAC) preparing for the LWF Tenth Assembly. Some 80 representatives of LWF member churches in Europe participated in the Vienna 23-26 February meeting.
Even though Christianity has lost its monopoly on religion [in Europe], Heine said, she recommends that Christians present themselves modestly, but not be reticent to say who they are. Very often churches experience difficulty in “acting confidently in the pluralistic field of religious groups,” she pointed out. This implies admitting the loss of monopoly and assuming the consequences.
The Christian churches have to compete with numerous religions and worldviews and can no longer depend for their credibility on “the theological argument of institution and ecclesial office,” Heine continued, nor can pastors hide behind their function in the church. Referring to the theme of the LWF Tenth Assembly, “For the Healing of the World,” she noted that hardly anyone expects healing from the churches any more. The Assembly will be held 21-31 July 2003 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, hosted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada.
Christian faith itself implies a change of perspective, Heine continued, as plenty of “offensive” stories and parables in the Bible exemplify. Today, it is necessary to carry the Christian message to a culture that is no longer Christian. The frequently heard “moralizing sermons” which basically reproach rather than build people up, and sermons that complain about “disorder in the world,” are not very helpful, she said. Heine also criticized dogmatic and exegetical preaching which uses “theological insider vocabulary” without interpreting it for outsiders.
Local churches can contribute to healing, Heine said, if they are places where people can experience God’s love for humankind. This calls for being honest about ourselves. Any outsider can immediately tell whether we are just talking about high moral values, or actually living them out; it is on this that the attractiveness of churches depends, she stressed. Honest self-appraisal protects us from asking too much of ourselves, makes growth possible and is particularly effective in relationships between women and men, she observed.
Heine said she also sees the need for action with regard to pastoral care. People who come for pastoral care today are more concerned with their own individual path in life, and are not prepared to just listen to good advice. So pastoral care, she believes, requires “first of all, professional reserve in asking and listening without offering false consolation that minimizes a crisis and belittles pain.”
“We have our own context to offer, a house, a community where people are bound together by a greater word of comfort and a deeper transformation,” said Heine, and stressed that the basis for this word of comfort is the Lutheran doctrine of justification, which tells people, “You are justified in being. It is good that you exist.” Whoever can believe this, she concluded, experiences healing.
The LWF European PAC is the second of five regional meetings being held in the run-up to the LWF Tenth Assembly, to discuss the Assembly theme and content from the perspectives of the various regions. About 1,000 participants are expected at the event in Winnipeg, including 436 delegates from the 136 LWF member churches. The Assembly is the LWF's highest decision-making body, and is normally held every six years.
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