Zeitgeist und Christentum

Like no other journal, “Die Christliche Welt” captures the relationship between theology and society at the turn of the 20th century. In addition to offering insights into the past, its analysis of the concept of crisis also provides structural elements that are illuminating for theology and the Church in today’s debates on crisis.

Marieluise Sonnemeyer focuses her research on cultural Protestantism as a socio-cultural religious phenomenon. The medium of the journal has received only sporatic attention in systematic theology. Yet journals serve as indicators of their time. They capture voices, express perceptions, and comment on current events. The author addresses this research gap: She examines the journal “Die Christliche Welt” (ChW) against the backdrop of the social transformation processes between the 19th and 20th centuries. The concept of crisis serves as an analytical tool to grasp transformation processes and the self-interpretations of the ChW milieu. It becomes evident that in times of general uncertainty, the need for orientation and interpretation of the present increases, as was the case from the turn of the century onwards. The ChW’s crisis diagnoses take up these paradoxical sentiments and systematically interpret them as a crisis. The various discourses contribute to a clearer positioning of the journal. The journal’s theological orientation becomes particularly evident in the coping strategies it developed. The self-image that emerges emphasizes the Reformation’s concept of freedom, the individual relationship with God, and religious sentiment. Religion is understood as a central component of personal and cultural development. While the movement’s self-understanding was initially shaped by Ritschl’s theology, the school of religious history gained influence after the turn of the century. The engagement with mystical-syncretic worldviews led to an emphasis on subjective interiority. The resulting individualized religious practice challenged academic and ecclesiastical authorities. World War I marked a turning point in the crisis discourses of the ChW.
The author offers a comprehensive reflection on the perception, interpretation, and management of crises within the ChW milieu. She not only examines historical crisis discourses but also highlights their relevance to contemporary discussions without drawing forced parallels between the early 20th century and the present. Rather, the analysis identifies structural elements that are illuminating for current debates.

1. Zeitgeist und Christentum
1.1 Die Christliche Welt als Forschungsgegenstand
1.2 Forschungsstand
1.3 Methodische Vorbemerkungen
2. Krisen als Selbstdeutungsprozesse
2.1 Begriffsgeschichtliche Darstellung des Krisenbegriffs bis zum Jahrhundertwechsel
2.2 Krisenstimmung
2.3 Krisendiagnose
2.4 Bewältigungsstrategien
2.5 Krise als Selbstdeutungsprozesse
3. Krisenstimmung innerhalb der Christlichen Welt
3.1 Sozialgeschichtliche Verortung
3.2 Stimmungsbild der Christlichen Welt
3.3 Zwischenfazit: Krisenstimmung innerhalb der Christlichen Welt
4. Krisendiagnosen innerhalb der Christlichen Welt
4.1 Korpuslinguistische Analyse des Krisenbegriffs
4.2 Kartografie des Krisenbegriffs
4.3 Zwischenfazit: Krisendiagnose innerhalb der Christlichen Welt
5. Bewältigungsstrategien innerhalb der Christlichen Welt
5.1 Wissenschaftliche Bewältigungsstrategie
5.2 Individuelle Bewältigungsstrategie
5.3 Ethisch-pädagogische Bewältigungsstrategie
5.4 Ekklesiologische Bewältigungsstrategie
5.5 Mystische Bewältigungsstrategie
5.6 Zwischenfazit: Bewältigungsstrategien innerhalb der Christlichen Welt
6. Krisenstimmung und Krisenbegriff im Ersten Weltkrieg
7. Selbstdeutungsprozesse der Christlichen Welt im Kaiserreich
8. Ausblick: Krisenbegriff in der Zeit nach 1918
9. Selbstdeutungen der modernen Theologie
9.1 Theologie und Krise
9.2 Debattenkultur der Christlichen Welt
9.3 Ansätze von Citizen Theology
9.4 Computergestützte Methoden in der Theologie
10. Zeitgeist und Christentum. Der Krisenbegriff in der Zeitschrift Die Christliche Welt (1886/7-1918)

• By (author) Marieluise Sonnemeyer