Congregational Studies Worldwide

The Future of the Parish and the Free Congregation

Thorsten Latzel, Gerhard Wegner

• Publisher: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9783374049028
• eBook ISBN: 9783374049035
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Denominations

In the Christian churches, and in Protestantism in particular, the local gatherings of the faithful –parish and non-territorial free congregations – are of crucial importance. Viewed from a global perspective, they offer an extremely popular format and are growing, as for example in China and Latin America. In central and northern Europe, on the other hand, the Protestant parish and its congregation tend rather to be in decline. What is the current situation of church parishes and congregations? This book presents research into this topic from all over the world. China is among the countries represented, as are the United States (as the "motherland" of the autonomous congregation), Switzerland, Germany and Scandinavia. The researchers have identified and defined a number of different lines of development. Ecclesiastical sociologists, sociologists of religion, and indeed everybody who is interested in the future of Protestantism will find some new insights into an old topic here.[Internationale Studien zur Kirchgemeinde. Die Zukunft der Pfarrbezirke und der Autonomen Kirchgemeinden]In den christlichen Kirchen, besonders in den protestantischen, kommt den lokalen Gemeinden (congregations, parishes) eine zentrale Bedeutung zu. In globaler Perspektive gesehen sind sie ausgesprochen populär und wachsen z. B. in China und Lateinamerika. In Mittel- und Nordeuropa hingegen nimmt protestantisch-gemeindliches Leben eher ab. Wie stellt sich die Situation der Kirchgemeinde heute dar? In diesem Buch werden diesbezügliche Forschungen aus aller Welt vorgestellt. China ist ebenso vertreten wie die USA – das "Mutterland" der autonomen Kirchgemeinde –, die Schweiz, Deutschland und Skandinavien. Unterschiedliche Entwicklungswege werden herausgearbeitet. Religions- und Kirchensoziologen – und alle die an der Zukunft des Protestantismus interessiert sind – finden hier neue Einsichten in ein altes Thema!Autoren sind u. a. Nancy Ammerman, Mark Chaves, Eberhard Hauschildt und Jörg Stolz.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Titel
• Impressum
• Vorwort
• Foreword
• Content
• Congregational Studies. An Introduction (Gerhard Wegner)
• Open Questions/Desiderata with regard to the understanding and description of church parishes and congregations in Pastoral Theology (Eberhard Hauschildt)
• Understanding the Dynamics of Congregational Life (Henk de Roest)
• American Congregations: How Different Are We? (Nancy T. Ammerman)
• Religious Congregations in 21st Century America. A Report from the National Congregations Study (Mark Chaves/Alison J. Eagle)
• The Barometer of Parish Performance. A typology of Protestant parishes in Germany by the Social Sciences Institute of the Evangelical Church in Germany (SI oft he EKD) (Hilke Rebenstorf)
• The Barometer of Parish Performance. A Response (Ulla Schmidt)
• Congregational Development in Europe and the US. A Commentary on the Presentations by Prof. Mark Chaves and Dr. Hilke Rebenstorf (Kati Tervo-Niemelä)
• The Established and the Newcomers Resources and Relationships of Congregations in the Swiss Religious Field (Jörg Stolz, Christophe Monnot)
• Congregational Churches in China. The Growth of the Mustard Seed (Aiming Wang)
• International Congregational Studies – Research into German Parishes and Congregations. Findings and challenges in a newly discovered field that has recently come to the attention of researchers in the areas of Practical Theology and the Sociology of Religion (Eberhard Hauschildt)
• Appendix
• Index of Authors