Wer hat die Autorität?

[Who has Authority? Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Protestant Church in the Dynamics of New Forms of Institutionalization]



The authority of institutions is undergoing clearly discernible processes of change in many areas of public life. What effects do these transformational dynamics have on the church as institution, its practice, and its interpretive power? The contributions in this volume document an interdisciplinary conversation between practical theology and communication and media studies, political science and law, as well as journalism and rhetoric. From their perspectives, they shed light on current theoretical developments in the understanding of institutions and their authority. This is followed by assessments from the perspective of practical theology, church leadership, and protestant journalism. These refer to and focus in particular on the question of what authority can be ascribed to the church as an institution of freedom in the future and how this can be demonstrated as a theologically responsible communication practice both internally and externally.