Lived Theology

Impulses for a Pastoral Theology of Empowerment

Sabrina Müller

• Publisher: Cascade Books
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN: 9781725273962, 9781725273979
• eBook ISBN: 9781725273986
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Ministry

The common priesthood is one of the central concepts of Protestant ecclesiology--and yet it remains a marginal phenomenon in practical theological discourses. The unwieldy wording and the theologically dense conception make it difficult to talk about. For that reason, the question arises as to how "priestesses" and "priests" show themselves today, what life plans they have, and what their lived theology looks like, which must again and again change and prove itself in everyday life. This lived theology is at the center of Sabrina Muller's attention. Such theology focuses not on the traditional forms of church alone, nor is there a return to parochial core church structures. Rather, religious social-media phenomena are also the subject of this study. For in such digital places lived theologies emerge at a rapid pace, and new leadership structures are formed. Muller thus expands the concept of the common priesthood to include an essential new aspect and advocates that ordained and non-ordained persons meet on a theological level. With its strong emphasis on empowerment, the book is not only based on traditional discussions from church theory and pastoral theology but also implicitly leans on feminist conceptions and topics from liberation theology.

1

Common Priesthood and Volunteer Work

In the celebrations of “500 Years of Reformation” the common priesthood has increasingly become the focus of attention.5 It remains to be seen whether this is a return to the past or a hope for the future, or should be seen as a phenomenon of crisis in the regional church that is suffering from a loss of significance and resources and a lack of ministry personnel.6, 7

However, when the common priesthood is discussed in church circles, the main focus quickly turns to the (social) benefit of volunteers.8 The “priesthood of all believers” is equated with volunteer work. This is particularly noticeable when one looks at cantonal church websites. There are countless statements about volunteer work, proof of volunteer hours, and motivation for volunteers. In contrast, the theological conception of the common priesthood is hardly found on these websites.9 Volunteering and social engagement in parishes in Switzerland are usually the focus when it comes to volunteer work that has been performed, and the social capital this entails. From a historical and theological perspective, however, the equation of the common priesthood and volunteer work must be regarded as a problematic reduction. This is especially true if the theological dimension is not taken into consideration.

Biblical and Historical Backgrounds of the Common Priesthood

Although there have already been many discussions of the biblical and historical backgrounds of the common priesthood, it is worthwhile to briefly outline some of the main lines of thought here. This is necessary in order to properly identify how the understanding of the common priesthood developed.10

In the history of religion and in the Old Testament, priests have always been people tasked with mediating between humanity and the divine, and regarded as religious leaders, though not founders of a religion.11

New Testament Perspectives and Reception in the Early Church

The New Testament treats the concept of “priest” cautiously. It is used exclusively for Jesus Christ, especially in the letter to the Hebrews (Heb 4–10). The sacrifice on the cross supersedes the sacrificial cult practiced previously. At the same time, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the high priest, any other form of mediation becomes superfluous. As a result, the New Testament avoids using the term “priest” for those who serve in a ministerial office. Instead, all believers now become the people of God and the holy priesthood which brings offerings (1 Pet 2:4–5, 9–10; Rev 1:6; 5:10; 20:6).12 “Through baptism and faith, every Christian comes to participate in the entirety of the salvific work of Jesus Christ, and thus also in his priestly office.”13 Baptism and faith are thus the foundations for existence in Christ (2 Cor 5:17).

Nevertheless, a priestly office developed again in the early church, which increasingly acquired the function of mediating salvation between God and humanity in the eucharist and absolution. This in turn led to a clear distinction between ordained clergy and the people.14

Revival in the Reformation Period

In his Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation of 1520, Martin Luther took up the idea of the common priesthood once again. Luther established strong connections between the common priesthood and the letter to the Hebrews and Christ as high priest, in whose holiness the faithful participate. In this, however, believers do not simply participate in an activity; rather, their identity is changed, they are clothed in and adorned with holiness: “Sic omnes sumus sacerdotes, vestiti et ornati eadem sanctitate Christi.”15 The priestly existence of the faithful, like their existence as Christians, is grounded in the doctrine of justification and must always be practiced anew: “through the priestly appearance before God in prayer and through the obedience of faith as a spiritual self-sacrifice . . . since Christians’ sacrifice of faith is manifest in love and thus is also done as a service to one’s neighbor.”16 Luther grounds the priesthood of all Christians in baptism and faith. One’s own priestly existence ought to support others in becoming priests and in their priestly existence. Specifically, this task is manifest in the communication of the gospel in preaching, pastoral care, and confession.17

Thanks to Luther, the common priesthood became an important concept in Protestant ...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Common Priesthood and Volunteer Work
• Chapter 2: Religious Experience and the Genesis of Lived Theology
• Chapter 3: The Public Realm of Lived Theology—Digital and Analog
• Chapter 4: Lived Theology as an Aspect of Empowerment
• Chapter 5: Toward a Pastoral Theology of Empowerment
• A Personal Afterword—Fragments of a Sermon
• Bibliography