The future of the church does not look bright in North America and Europe. This is documented by many recent surveys. The church is riddled with scandals, be it sexual abuse or financial misappropriation. This led to a loss of trust which is very difficult to regain. We also live in an aging society in which younger people have been brought up with a consumer attitude which does not stop at the church doors. Moreover, we live in a secular society in which individualism runs contrary to the communal aspect of the church. While religiosity has not vanished, the Christian faith is perceived by many as an ‘old time religion’ whose tenets have lost their luster. Yet we should not give up on the church too quickly. The church has something to offer which the world needs and which it cannot secure by itself. This uniqueness of the church shows in the pronouncement of law and gospel and in the sacraments. The church is also instrumental for our self-understanding by serving as guardian of the past, as the heart of the present, and as a reminder of a meaningful future. In conclusion some directions are given toward a viable church.
Over de auteur
Hans Schwarz is professor emeritus of Protestant theology at the University of Regensburg, Germany. From 1967 to 1981 he was a professor at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio. He has presented more than six hundred lectures on five continents, and is the author of more than thirty books on nearly all of Christianity’s major theological questions, including Who Rules the World (2021). His more than fifty former doctoral students teach in many different countries.
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