Frei-evangelische Kirchentheorie

Ein Werkstattbericht

Abstract

Recent publications on church theory have three substantial commonalities: the church is functional; it can only be described accurately using a multidimensional model; it must be considered in its contextuality. Any contribution to the development of a specifically free-church church theory must examine how these common areas can be applied and enhanced. There follows a historically oriented examination of the Evangelical Union of Brethren (a predecessor of the Union of Free Evangelical Churches) in its early years from 1850. This examination is followed by a consideration from practical-theological and church-theoretical perspectives, then a discussion of the Union as institution, interaction and presentation, as well as an evaluation of leading personalities. The notion of faith in its significance and effect on the early development of the Union of Brethren is critically depicted. Two main conclusions are drawn from the analysis: 1. The determined characteristics for the middle of the 19. Century: Membership, finances, participation of non-ordained persons and communication through authenticity, are still characteristic for the Union of Free Evangelical Churches today. 2. The Free Evangelical Churches were from their beginnings a many-facetted social entity. The church-theoretical categories depicted by Hermelink in 2011 for the Landeskirche can be employed for the Evangelical Union of Brethren. Finally, the free-evangelical church theory has to describe the church as a contextual, many-facetted social entity of faith, which has been largely formed by the mode of communication of authenticity and is functionally directed towards the manifestation of faith beyond itself.