3. Unit: Approaches of the Roman Catholic social Teaching *

0 introduction and Literaturereferences *

0.1 Introduction *

0.2 Literature and Internet *

1. Approaches with natural right *

1.0 Introdution and literature *

1.0.1 Questions to think about *

1.0.2 Introduction *

1.0.2 Literature and internet *

1.1 The Solidarism *

1.1.0 Introduction and literature *

1.1.0.1 Introduction *

1.2.0.2 Literature and internet *

1.2.1 Between socialism and liberalism *

1.1.1 The solidarism, a system founded by natural rights *

1.1.2 Solidarity as a basis of solidarism *

1.2 Principles as basis of christian social teaching *

1.2.0 Introducing the subject *

1.2.0.1 Introducing *

1.2.0.2 Literature and internet *

1.2.1 The christian social teaching based on principles *

1.2.1.0 Preliminary remark *

1.2.1.1 Christian social teaching, how does it work? *

1.2.1.2 The basis of the christian social teaching *

1.2.1.3 The fundamental principles *

1.2.1.3.1 Human as a social nature, his personality *

1.2.1.3.2 The social principles *

1.2.1.3.3 Die standard of social life is the right *

1.2.1.3.4 The principle of lasting *

1.3 Perspektives of this approach and other ways of the protestant social ethics *

1.3.1 Prospects of the nature right appproach *

1.3.2 The other approach of the protestant church *

1.4 Questions about chapter 1 *

1.4.1 Questions about 1.1 The solidarism *

1.4.2 Questions about 1.2 Principles as fundament of the christian social teaching 1. part *

1.4.3 Questions about 1.2 Principles as fundament of the christian social teaching 2. part *

2 FROM the political to the theology of liberation and Socialpastoral *

2.0 Introduction and literature *

2.0.1 Questions to think about *

2.0.2 Introduction *

2.0.3 Literature and internet *

2.1 New political theology *

2.1.1 Access to political theology *

2.1.2 The new political theology by J. B. Metz *

2.1.3 The programme of a public theology by Jürgen Moltmann *

2.1.4 Mysticism and resistance – thoughts about Dorothee Sölle *

2.1.5 Feminine theology *

2.1.5.0 Literature and internet *

2.1.5.1 An international movement *

2.1.6 Results *

2.2 Theology of liberation *

2.2.0 Introduction and literature *

2.2.0.1 Introduction *

2.2.0.2 Literature and internet *

2.2.1 The prehistory *

2.2.2 Brasilian, southamerican and globalchurch development *

2.2.3 The development of the basic parishes *

2.2.4 The theology of liberation *

2.2.5 Final thoughts *

2.3 The socialpastoral *

2.3.0 Introduction and internet *

2.3.0.1 Introduction *

2.2.0.1 Literature and internet *

2.3.1 Socialpastoral as an example of the diocese Creatéus (Brasilien) *

2.3.2 Elements of a socialpastoral *

2.3.2.0 Remark *

2.3.2.1 Change of the subject. Instead the "Secularization of the society - its Evangelisierung" *

2.3.2.2 Options of the socialpastoral *

2.3.2.3 Steps of the socialpastoral *

2.3.4 Examples of socialpastoral *

2.3.4.1 An example as churchasylum *

2.3.4.2 An example as a city parish *

2.3.4.3 Socialpastoral as the example of the diocese Limburg *

2.3.5 Final thoughts *

2.4 Perspektives *

2.5 Questions about chapter 2 *

2.5.1 Questions about 2.1 New political theology *

2.5.2 Questions about 2.2 Theology of liberation *

2.5.3 Questions about 2.3 The socialpastoral *

3. Globalization ANd the empire of God *

3.0 Introduction and literature *

3.0.1 Questions to think about *

3.0.2 Introduction *

3.0.3 Literature and internet *

3.1 Globalization, causes and consequences (Notice) *

3.1.0 The phenomenon of globalization *

3.1.1 The causes of globalization *

3.1.1.0 From industrialization to globalization *

3.1.1.1 Making the capital international *

3.1.1.2 Increase of world trade *

3.1.1.3 Technological developments *

3.1.1.4 Founding of transnationale companies *

3.1.1.5 The predominating economic theory of the neoliberalism *

3.1.1.6 The central idea of the western civilization *

3.1.2 The consequences of the globalization and the involved problems *

3.1.2.1 The economic upturn of nations in Asia and Latinamerica and the shake off of other nations *

3.1.2.2 The debt crises *

3.1.2.3 The reduction of the meaning of work and the opening of the scissors between poor and rich *

3.1.2.5 The corruption *

3.1.2.5 The loading of the environment *

3.1.2.6 The overtaxing of national states *

3.1.2.7 Globalization - a challenge *

3.2 What central idea do we christians have for the world (Justice)? *

3.2.1 The central idea of the Kingdom of God *

3.2.1.0 Introduction *

3.2.1.1 The Kingdom of God came by Jesus *

3.2.1.2 Elements of the sermon by Jesus about the Kingdom of God *

3.2.1.2 The responsibilty of the church and the religions *

3.2.2 Ethical criterions *

3.2.2.1 The amicability of the Kingdom of God in the society *

3.2.2.2 Our task - an option in our time for the Kingdom of God *

3.2.2.3 Approaches of the social teaching *

3.2.3 Actionorientated critical valuation of the global conditions *

3.3 Steps on the way to an amicable world culture based on the Kingdom of God (Act) *

3.3.1 The culture is a creation of human *

3.3.2 Ethical responsible forming of the globalization *

3.3.3 Those who act *

3.3.3.1 The national states, the regional joining together and the whole community of the nations *

3.3.3.2 The transnational concerns and mediaconcerns *

3.3.3.3 Support for an international civilian society *

3.3.3.4 Possibilities of actions done by the church, its works and church groups *

3.4 What's it about *

3.5 Questions about chapter 3 *

3.5.1 Questions about 3.1 *

3.5.2 Questions about 3.2 *

3.5.3 Questions about 3.3 *

4 result *

5 Alphabetical list of Literature *

In the following chapter the various theoretical approaches of the social teaching are discussed. The letter is limited to those of the Roman Catholic church (this is justifiable, because they are worked out most extensive) and shortly to those of the Protestant churches. In the meantime there are also such approaches in the orthodoxy. In the Jewish theology likewise, this goes back to the rich fund of social ethical statements of the bible (of the old testament). Totally you can say, that the developments in the Roman Catholic - Protestant area come closer and closer. This shall be shown clearly with a text of a common word of the churches "For a future in solidarity and justice". (Bold type was done by the author of the unity!)

Hier sind die unterschiedlichen Ansätze aufgeführt, die in diesem Brief zu einer Einheit geführt werden. Diesen Ansätzen soll in den einzelnen Kapiteln vertieft nachgegangen werden.

Wort des Rates der Evangelischen Kirche in Deutschland und der Deutschen Bischofskonferenz zur wirtschaftlichen und sozialen Lage in Deutschland Für eine Zukunft in Solidarität und Gerechtigkeit, Bonn 1997

1.0 Introduction and literature

What do you interpret by solidarity?

There was no system of a Roman Catholic social teaching in the first papal publishing, but reasons of the listed sentences based on the nature of this subject again and again. Whoever looks at it closely, has to get the same decisions. The colletivistic socialism got a strong rejection (the community - the collectic is everything), the individualistic liberalism (the single person is everything) was refused in the same way. But what shall be named the way, the church suggests? The Jesuit Heinrich Pesch formed the word "solidarism" as the system showing the middle course between socialism and liberalism.

The students of Heinrich Pesch have continued these thoughts, Gundlach and Oswald von Nell-Breuning. Cardinal Joseph Höffner has worked on this fundament as well. They developed principles of the Romen Catholic social teaching, mainly personality, solidarity, subsidiarity, which are the fundament of the whole system, not for a closed system, but for an open one, that is in the position to handle new challenges as well. The name solidarism couldn't put through, but the naturerightly approach of the social teaching.

Höffner, Josef, Christian social teaching, 2. checked edition of the new edition, Kevelaer 2000.

Nell-Breuning, Oswald, Justice and freedom. Fundaments of the Roman Catholic social teaching, Wien, München, Zürich 1980

The system of the solidarism was developed by the Jesuit Heinrich Pesch. He was born on September 17^th, 1854 in Köln. At first he studied a short time theology, and after this 1872 - 1876 jurisprudence and political science. Formed by the culture fight he became member in the holy order of the Jesuits. He studied philosophy and theology in the Netherlands and England. 1888 he was ordained as a priest. He became acquainted with the works of Ketteler, when he was spiritual at the seminary in Mainz, and he had a good look at liberalism and socialism under the ideas of the christian social teaching. He studied national economy in Berlin after 1901 and did the first parts of an often published textbook about national economy. He died on April 1^st, 1926 in Valkenburg (Netherland).

Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, Solidarismus, Freiburg 2. ???

Nell-Breuning, von, Oswald, Hg. u.a., Solidarismus, Gesellschaftliche Ordnungssysteme, Heft 5/2, Freiburg1951, S 358-375

Pesch, Heinrich, Lehrbuch der Nationalökonomie, 5 Bde., Freiburg 1905-1923

Detailed site about Heinrich Pesch

Pesch wanted to develope a new system between socialism and liberalism, as was told before. These two systems shall be declared here shortly.

The sozialism (2. Unit 1.2.3.2 The development of socialist parties), was founded in the 19. century as the answer of the social question coming into being. It's a part of the labour movement and wanted to get over the capitalism. It was developed in two basis lines. The socialism wants to reform primarily the excesses of the capitalist economy in the social democracy, and the communism (Marxism) (2. Unit 1.2.3.2 From Weitling to Marx and Engels) wants to abolish completely the property at means of production and strives revolutionary in the end for the classless society.

The economic liberalism was formed by Adam Smith (1723-1790). He was formed by the spirit of the enlightenment. Smith draw up five theses.

1. There is a natural order of the economy. Like everything a natural harmony is the fundament for this. It is the business of God to worry about the bliss of all natures, who are endowed with reason.

2. The natural order of the economy is to be seen with reason.

3. The basic concept of the natural economic system is the idea of freedom. The state essentially has to worry about the inner and outer safety, streets and schools, the rest will comes from themselves.

4. The natural power in the economy is the self-interest. Smith sees this also as advantage for the neighbour. So egoism is altruism. The natural interests of the people correspond to the advantage of the general public..

5. The order in the economy is formed by the competition. The competition is guarantor of public welfare, monopolies and subsidies are against the interest of the general public.

The economic crises haven't proved the correctness of this, despite of the economy optimistic attitude. But here the immense performances of this economy liberalism are not allowed to be overlooked, but primelary by this the social question was founded.

1.1.1 The solidarism, a system founded by natural rights

The solidarism is a social philosophy. It doesn't base on revelation truths, but on the power of human knowledge and the light of reason. It doesn't base on the light of faith, this can save the reason from mistakes and can bright available shades. Finally the solidarism wants to be a philosophy, which can be taken to all people with the means of reason.

Here it refers to the finding principle, which is given to human, to recognize the nature of an object by reason, may be thing or human as well. In the whole nature reigns a divine law, according to the laws of nature, which shall be recognized. Therefore the nature of the thing has to be worked out. That goes back in the antiquity to Aristoteles (384-322 before Chr.), and in the middle ages primarily to Thomas von Aquin (1225-1274). The nature of an object can only be worked out by abstracting. Abstracting means to overlook primarily coincidences and various externallies as form, color, size, it's important what is common to all. So, the sex isn't important in the human area as well.

First of all, everything has a great community, God including. Then there are differences, between uncreated and created, between lifeless and life nature, between plants and living nature, between animals and rational living natures, between human (with heart and soul) and those, who insist only out of spirit (Angel). So human abstracted further and found by this thinking the nature of human sexuality, marriage and family and society and others.

The question, what is acceptable ethically, in actions and sense of justice, then arose from the nature. Unnatural wasn't allowed, (by these thoughts e.g. is well-founded the ban about the use of contraceptives). The inner reason of those sentences were deduced from the nature and not by the sence of justice.

Human is a rational nature. This is also right, when a person cannot use his reason e.g. when there are physical problems. Basing to this the other one has to be deduced. His liberty and dignity, primarily that human needs necessarly the community, is his nature. About this will have to be talked later.

So the aims of this nature result by the acquired nature. From being results the being supposed to. This beginning of thinking is called natural right. It got importance one more time in the process of the unfolding of human dignity, starting in the 17. century, because it gave reasons, that the dignity of human didn't depend on the powerful, but was given to him by God, together with his nature. Whoever attacks the dignity of human, attacks God.

But there was also the natural right 1. and 2. order, before and after the Fall of Man, which damaged the nature of human, but didn't abolish it. The tendency to evil existed. The dignity of human was valid before the Fall of Man and is valid after it as well. The right of ownership didn't exist in this interpretation in the paradise, everything belonged to everybody. Just after the Fall of Man the egoism started the fights for possession, but human needed personal property in this situation, the right of ownership tries therefore so free of conflict as possible, to become clear those objects of the world, which real belong to all (Natural right 1. Order), but it is alterable absolutely, because there is a natural right 2. Order.

Very clear is the nature rightly argumentation in the encyclical "Rerum novarum" (1891) of pope Leo XIII.

From this the pope derived the right to property in controversy to the communism

Here it becomes clear, that this thinking pushes to limits as well, but it shows already an openness to the totally rights of parents; essential is, that it ordains this intervenation of the state, because it is caused in the nature.

The following sentences were self-evident in those times, but they were linked with the nature, today we know, that it will not run so easy any more.

Surely the ability sometimes was and is worned out a little, to recognize the "nature" and to deduce possibilties for actions from this. Surely we have today also problems with new scientific knowledges and we feel, that there are things, which in earlier times the nature gave reasons for, today they are no more supported by the church. But we should grant this starting point, that it gave right and meaning to human before all stately power. This is actuel still today and we Germans have our most negative historical experience, that the natural right of human wasn't respected..

The idea of natural right was the fundament of founding the system of solidarism, as it was developed by Pesch.

The solidarism has its fundament in the solidarity of human. Community is formed by solidarity. This isn't understood as a moral demand for actions caused by brotherly love, but first as the nature of the society; nature is, as told before, the nature of the communtiy. The society acts in solidarity with the nature. This causes a second important point: Social actions have to act in solidarity as well. At one hand this solidarity works against individualism, where everybody is the neighbour of himself and on the other hand the collectivism, where the single person means nearly nothing, but the community everything. Well, so the solidarism should be another way, like a third way between individualism und collectivism, that is a way between the system of the economic liberalism and the collectivistic marxism. Solidarism is a first approach of both, of the single person as well as of the community. Some speak against this, there is no way possible as such a third way between individualism and collectivism. All would have to decide, whether the society is a sum of individuals or a collective, where the single person is only one element, without any real independence. But it is possible to see the society as the relationship and the solidarity of all its members, who are the single ones.

This causes, so says Pesch, in the total entanglement and responsibility of human. The welfare of the whole, each single person is responsible for the public welfare (bonum commune). This welfare of the whole is the center of the community, what forms unity. The single person is not able to realize his own welfare without the support of the community. And the communuity isn't able to reach its goal without the service and the power of all single members. In the community everybody is able to bring his own personal value to the highest unfolding. The single one has to have the understanding, that he is involved in the fate of the community. He has to have inward a positive attitude. He has to know, that he is responsible for the weal and woe of the whole. This is called responsibility.

Ths basic law of this construction is the solidarity principle. The word solidarity results from Latin word "solidus" and means a stabil ground. In the form on hand "Solidarity" it results from the French law, and means a law, where a whole group is responsible for the total debts of all single members. Each one can be called for the total debts, in the same way all can be called for the debt of one single member. Primarily in the religious socialism the solidarity takes the place of the revolution slogan Fraternity.

But just in the labour movement after 1848 solidarity became an important political slogan. Here the working class shows its unity, as well as its intention about self-assertion, its intention about self-help. (A. Pesch, G. Gundlach and Oswald von Nell-Breuning introduced this prinziple into the socialteaching.) Solidarity first is a law of construction for the human society.

Each person lays solidarically in the society. Pesch calls it: "Human surrounded by the society". Because this is the fundament of the existing of the society, so it is the principle of the society, it's also the principle of actions. Whoever wants to act naturally, so Pesch, is right and does it for the aims of the society, he has to act in solidarity, that means, he is responsible for his neighbour and the whole society by his actions.

The total entanglement calls the cause of being, the nature of the society, the responsibility, the ethical acting principle in a society which acts in solidarity.

The solidarity principle is also part of the social justice. It means to form social conditions in the society. The capitalist society with its unfair distribution of the goods is a clear proof, that social justice is one of the most important ethical principles of the actions in a society, which is respecetd as a solidarity.

This solidarity is a social principle in the society; a basis, no one can think back about. It means for Pesch, as social economist, that human and his right have to be fixed as subject and aim of the economy. This is the meaning of the solidarity for the economy.

This follows for the solidarism, that the mankind family is a social unity. This family has to be taken in a legal order. Solidarity as ethical principle is also valid for the world family. The solidarism demands the forming of one world respecting the ideas of a social justice.

The two natural societies, family and state, have a great meaning in the solidarism. They have to be equipped with so many rights, that they are able to do their tasks correctly.

It's interesting, that Pesch also represents the approach of the professional system. Here all workers shall become an own status. Mankind shall not be stacked in classes, but - like in a capitalistic class society - in professions. Here Pesch really is in tradition of Franz von Baader.

The solidarity has to be noticed in the economy as well, so in the social policy of the nation, not only in one nation, but worldwidly. In the solidary social policy the possibility has to be given to the people, to run self-help in free independence. An economic policy, did in solidarity, has not to have its priority in income and profit, but in the necessities of the people.

The theorie of the solidarism was a test to form a system out of the Roman Catholic social teaching. Many handled it in the same way, but it couldn't be realized, Oswald von Nell-Breuning thought, this didn't work, because the word solidarity wasn't unterstoof really in its nature, but always first as a moral demand. The professional understanding of Pesch was finally a structure of the society, which cannot be realized today. At the other hand the working out of the principle of solidarity as a fundamental structure of the social being and acting built the fundament of the classic social teaching. This solidarity principle was accepted much further than in the Roman Catholic social teaching.

The classic authors of this principle teaching are Oswald von Nell-Breuning and Josef Höffner, if you want to name them.

Oswald von Nell-Breuning was professor of Roman Catholic social teaching at the Philosophisch-Theologischen Hochschule Sankt Georgen for a long time (look also 2. Unit, 4.5.1). He run the line of Pesch (look chapter about solidarism 1.1). Another author is to name here, he was also, like Oswald von Nell-Breuning, a student of Pesch: Gustav Gundlach.

Gustav Gundlach SJ was born on March 3^rd 1892 in Geisenheim/Rheingau. He was professor in social-philosophy and -ethic at the Hochschule St. Georgen in Frankfurt, after 1934 at the papal university Gregoriana in Rom. It was important for him, that the human person is the beginning, representative and aim of the total social life. The content of the principle of subsidiarity goes back to this. His outline of an encyclical against the racism wasn't published any more, because Pius XI. fell ill 1938. Later he was adviser of Pius XII till 1958. He was the representative of the equal representation. After his retirement he took on the leadership of the Catholic social scientific headquarter in Mönchengladbach. He died in Mönchengladbach on June 23^rd, 1963.

Josef Höffner lived 1906 - 1987. He was 1951 - 1962 professor of Roman Catholic social teaching in Münster and became bishop 1962 of Münster, 1969 archbishop of Köln. By this he was at the same time cardinal, 1976 - 1987 he was chairman of the German conference of bishops. There might be no more successful textbook about the Roman Catholic social teaching than this one.

As reading is recommended: Oswald von Nell-Breuning, Justice and freedom, fundament of the Roman Catholic social teaching, Wien 1980, but also primarily, because this book is worked over and new published.

Josef Höffner, Christian society teaching, 2^nd checked edition of the new edition, Kevelaer 2000.

There are no significant differences between the opinions of Oswald von Nell-Breuning and Josef Höffner. We have to have a look to the book, the most can buy now yet, namely the book of Höffner about the christian society teaching. It is recommended as a reinforced reading.

You will find in internet contributions about this subject:
< http://www.leuninger.de/sozial/gesch.htm#prinzipien >

Once Oswald von Nell-Breuning did the classic wording, you can write the Roman Catholic social teaching at the thumbnail, namely: Personality, solidarity, subsidiarity. These three principles also are called often in the classic mind "the social principles". About this there are various opinions. In the real meaning the social principles of Nell-Breuning are only solidarity and subsidiarity. With the concept of personality he is a little more careful using it as a socialprinciple, because this is more than a socialprinciple, it includes also the individuality. Further it is possible to name personality as a socialprinziple too. This will be handled later.

Real there is the christian society teaching at all times in the church, so e.g. about the slaveproblem and the obedience, the obidience to the state authority even, in the biblical time. But it has got its own meaning with the papal social proclamation after 1891 "Rerum novarum".

Höffner deduces his concept of the christian society teaching from the image of God, from the necessity, to restore again the social living together in a divine order, that was disturbed by the Fall of Man, from the necessity of a tireless actions against poverty and misery as a christian duty, from the renewing of the human nature by Jesus. The christian society teaching can be defined: "... as the total got knowledge, seen social philosophically (relatedness of character of the human nature) and social theologically (christian order of salvation) about the nature of the order of the human society, and its resulting norms and order tasks taken by the prevailing historical situations. (Höffner, Christliche Gesellschaftslehre Seite 23)"

However, the subject is the order in this world, wanted by God, and the right understanding of human, and the forming of the society. At this more social philosophical, e.g. out of reason arising arguments, are added into the principle teaching, which are deduced here. Also are added theological argument, which are deduced out of the revelation and handle the christian society teaching more lighting up and heightening.

The christian society teaching contains methodically real scientific areas, may be the order of the society of human and those things, which arise by the nature. But at the same time it is also a normative science, what doesn't want to work out the knowledge about the real existence only, but it wants to deduce the order given by God as a fundament, also the being supposed to be (that what is demanded about the standard of actions) and to deduce how this society shall be ordered. Anyway, it is acting ethically (the teaching of supposed to be).

But it wants also to be theology like told before. This theology leads e.g. to a better understanding, what the creation is looking like, how to interpret the relationship of man and woman, and the release, what social consequences the sin has to the actual order in the society. But it shows also a view to final ideas, how they are represented in the Kingdom of God. It also knows now, that there will be no paradise on the earth. But at the same time it isn't allowed to miss, to interpret "the signs of the time", it has to accept sociological knowledge and examinations, if it wants to support the construction of the order in the world as an ethical science.

The personality is the basis and prerequisite for the social nature aplitude of human. Human cannot be seen only as an individual, but he also has to be understood as a social nature.

He is individual in his unique. He is born with this understanding as an original. As a also rational nature he contributes to the divine spirit, protruding so all the other creatures of this world. A main part of his personality is freedom. The free will arises from the human person. It forms the freedom for decision. By this human becomes "the master of himself". This freedom and the possibilty for decision forms the prerequisute for responsibility, but also for blame and expiation. Therefore human never can take away totally his responsibilty and take it into the responsibilty of others; in the end he is allways responsible for himself and for God. This is caused in the conscience. The call to the conscience is done by God in the end, but we know also a blind and misdirected conscience. But personality means as well the experience, that we didn't create ourselves - we are gifts. The virtue of gratitude arises by this, mainly to be grateful to God.

A very important part of the personality is the regarding of the other ones. Human is a social nature. Many relations have to rely on his nature, but also on the intellectually cultural conditions of the neighbors. Just this dependence, which arises and exists out of his freedom, because he isn't fixed instinctly in many areas like animals, takes a long time for him, until he grows into the world of culture, to learn and to accept the responsibility about his decisions.

He takes on the culture, which is surrounding him, into the process of socialization, but he is engaged again and again to check critically, and, if necessary, to develop further.

It is just this relationship to the culture, which shows clearly, that human cannot exist without any social relationships, also in the intellectual area.

The motive power to the sociability are the controlling energies of human, the urge to sex, influence, food etc. become increased and controlled by that, what we name charity, that is the positive attitude to the neighbour and to the helpfulness. Because the people are linked intellectually with each other, they are able to form social virtues, like charity, faithfulness, truthfulness, justice and to build up a culture on this.

There are some order laws in the live of the society. The first one is the solidarityprinciple. It was handled before (1.1.2 Solidarity as fundament of the solidarism). It was worked out by Heinrich Pesch and his students Gustav Gundlach and Oswald von Nell-Breuning. Human as a social nature is refered basicly to the society. The solidarity gives expression to the reality, that there is total responsibility. Each single person is fixed to the whole, at the other hand the whole lives from the single persons.

In the encyclical SOLLICITUDO REI SOCIALIS (SCR) of pope Johannes Paul II., twenty years after the encyclical Populorum Progressio, of December 30th, 1987 the concept of the solidarity is shown, unfolded from the foreign aid:

There is a great discussion about the question, what is the society really. This is done by a community, which seems me to be formed by the emotional nature of human, like the society which more has to be voted. The families are seen in this meaning as primary communities, all others are named as secondary ones.

The Roman Catholic social teaching didn't worry much about this discussion, the concept of the society (Latin: "societas") is important. Höffner defines society as follows: "Society means - seen by the greatest possible extend - each kind of lasting solidarity of people, that wants to realize an aim commenly.." (Höffner, Christliche Gesellschaftslehre, page 40).

Anyway the family is a society, the state is society and as well the society as a whole, but family, church and state are parts of this society as a whole. Society can have many meanings, the society of a religion, a state or supraregional up to the worldsociety. Important is the connection, the word is used with.

How it was stated even in the antiquity, human is a "ens sociale" a community nature. But what about the relationship of the people to each other?

In the tradition of the western world it was tried for two thousand years to interpret the relationship of the single human to the society as a comparison to the organism.

Menenius Agrippa became famous in the 5^th century before Christ, who had reconciled the rich ones and the poor ones in Rom (Patrician and plebeian) by the fabel, that the limbs of the body have to serve each other, and if only one limb doesn't work, then suffers the whole body and the limb as well.

Thomas von Aquin calls the society as well "so to speak one body". A contemporary called the state even a "mystical body".

Paulus had taken the idea of the organism at the church. He speaks about the "Body of Christ". As an example here the text of the

As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ.

For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

Now the body is not a single part, but many.

If a foot should say, "Because I am not a hand I do not belong to the body," it does not for this reason belong any less to the body.

Or if an ear should say, "Because I am not an eye I do not belong to the body," it does not for this reason belong any less to the body.

If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?

But as it is, God placed the parts, each one of them, in the body as he intended.

If they were all one part, where would the body be?

But as it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, "I do not need you," nor again the head to the feet, "I do not need you."

Indeed, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are all the more necessary,

and those parts of the body that we consider less honorable we surround with greater honor, and our less presentable parts are treated with greater propriety,

whereas our more presentable parts do not need this. But God has so constructed the body as to give greater honor to a part that is without it,

so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same concern for one another.

If (one) part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy.

Now you are Christ's body, and individually parts of it.

There are more texts about this in the Roman letter 12,4 - 8 and in the Ephesian letter 5,21 - 33.

In the first two passages he compares the church with an organic structured body, in the Epheser letter this body is named "body of Christ", its head is Christ.

But Höffner emphasizes also expressly, that this is only an analogy, a picture, and that not all details of this picture can be applied to the society now, e.g. the question, who are the various parts of the body. This picture wants only to reject an opinion of an individualistic society and to show clearly the public welfare principle.

1. The organism lasts, while the single cells passes. It is the same procedure in the society.

2. The parts of an organism, such as leafs and branches, do not form any sum of single things, which do not apply to each other. They serve the whole. So the members of a society are no isolated individuals, but an intellectual unity and serve the whole.

3. The organism doesn't allow its parts to atrophy, it feeds and keeps them. Only if there is the most extrem distress one part will be given up to save the whole. It's the same in the society, the various parts have to keep care for each other. But that means, that each citizen has to show commitment to the community.

Each social object has his special public welfare. That applies to a family, to a town, to a group and many others. Höffner says, the real public welfare is the public welfare of the state. He defines this as follows: "... that is the total of the institutions, which allow single persons and small groups, to look for realizing their inclinations, wanted by God, by ordered interactions (the unfolding of the personality and the construction of culture areas)." (Höffner, Christliche Gesellschaftslehre, page 52)

In our today's time this idea expands worldwidly, so as the pastoral constitution about the church in the world of today in the Second Vatican council "Gaudium et spes" 1965.

When the public welfare serves all, the singles welfare has to subordinate. At the other hand the public welfare isn't allowed to abuse the person and his freedom and dignity: all persons have to get their most possible unfolding. But the public welfare isn't allowed to confiscate human totally either, so a company may see the person only as a member of the staff, but the "total" company isn't allowed to exist. In the state the person is citizen and may not be occupied by the state totally. That would be the "total" state. The aim of sociality is the complete unfolding of the personality.

The public welfare needs an authority for its realization, but it has to be build on the obliging recognition of the human dignity. If this isn't accepted, the power will rejoice. A democracy, which doesn't accept the human dignity, turns very fast, like the history teaches in an underhanded totalitarianism. The fundamentalism doesn't accept the human dignity either. The church servesthe system of democracy, that respects mostly the public welfare of all.

Here the social teaching has joined in a development, initially the teaching didn't say anything about the type of state. The hard experiences justly in the 20^th. century demanded a clear statement for democracy.

The encyclical CENTESIMUS ANNUS of pope Johannes Paul II. to the 100^th anniversary of RERUM NOVARUM on May 1^st, 1991 he says:

The authority is based on the public welfare and serves the public welfare. This authority is seen as god-given, but is not free from mistakes. Therefore it needs the basis and the criticism by the parliaments, of the courts and the public opinion. Very important is also the right to vote of the citizens. The public welfare is kept best in a democracy.

Basicly this words comes out of the Latin military language, around the word "subsidium", the cohorts in the ubsidium had to stay back in reserve. This means, transferred to the civilian society, that subsidiarity is a help and an amplifying intervenation of the greater social object in favour of single persons or smaller social objects. The mutual aim has to be assigned to the principle of solidarity. The subsidiarityprinciple makes clear the competences, for what kind of aim it is responsible, and how it is to handle.

The classic definition of the subsidiarityprinciple is in the encyclical "Quadragesimo anno" Nr. 79 - 80.

This is said in another connection about help by self-help as well.

86. The following norms seem useful for such cooperation:

a) Developing nations should take great pains to seek as the object for progress to express and secure the total human fulfillment of their citizens. They should bear in mind that progress arises and grows above all out of the labor and genius of the nations themselves because it has to be based, not only on foreign aid, but especially on the full utilization of their own resources, and on the development of their own culture and traditions. Those who exert the greatest influence on others should be outstanding in this respect.

b) On the other hand, it is a very important duty of the advanced nations to help the developing nations in discharging their above-mentioned responsibilities. They should therefore gladly carry out on their own home front those spiritual and material readjustments that are required for the realization of this universal cooperation. Consequently, in business dealings with weaker and poorer nations, they should be careful to respect their profit, for these countries need the income they receive on the sale of their homemade products to support themselves.

c) It is the role of the international community to coordinate and promote development, but in such a way that the resources earmarked for this purpose will be allocated as effectively as possible, and with complete equity. It is likewise this community's duty, with due regard for the principle of subsidiarity, so to regulate economic relations throughout the world that these will be carried out in accordance with the norms of justice. Suitable organizations should be set up to foster and regulate international business affairs, particularly with the underdeveloped countries, and to compensate for losses resulting from an excessive inequality of power among the various nations. This type of organization, in unison with technical cultural and financial aid, should provide the help which developing nations need so that they can advantageously pursue their own economic advancement.

The classic christian society teaching represents as a fundament the justice on the basis of natural rights. About this was told before (1.1.1 The solidarism, a system, founded by naturale rights). The nature right is a part of the naturale moral law, which was founded by the Creator himself as an eternal law and obliged in the conscience. The human right isn't able to clarify and to forbid everything, but it has to clarify and to forbid if necessary these things, the society needs for surviving and a good live. Generally the human law leaves the putting through of the outer fulfillment of the regulation as well, without asking for the fundamental attitude. But here cannot be left aside the fundamental attitude in the criminal law about the question of motive and fault.

We distinguished in the natural right between primary (1. Order) natural right, which is independent of the Fall of Man) and the secondary (2. Order) natural right, which presupposes the condition of the fallen nature. It makes viable the fallen world. The right for live is a primary natural right. Property for example is a secondary natural right. The creation is put first at the disposal of human, but because there would be hard fights in the present situation of the fallen mankind about the property and only the strong ones would own property, there is the right of ownership. But it has to remain conscious, that the creation exists basicly for everyone. This secondary natural right is also called „ius gentium„ (Rights of the people).

Laws, which injure the primary natural right, are incorrect, and you may not obey them. The order for the genocide of the Jew was such an intervention in the primary natural right and wasn't allowed to obey. In this lays the power of the natural right, that it defends the last bastions of human dignity.

One side is the content of the written right, the other side spending the life with this law. In the teaching of philosophy and theology of this problem, the concept of virtue has to be handled well.

By Thomas von Aquin the virtue is a moral attitude: „...virtue of the steadfast and persistent wish to grant the right for every one.(Summa theologica II-II,58,1).„ It is one of the four cardinal virtues (fundamental virtues – "cardo" basis on Türangel): Wisdom, justice, bravery, moderation.

First justice is "to give everybody everything he owns" (So von Ulpian, attorney general of the Roman empire, murdered 228, and taken by Thomas von Aquin).

The justice is subdivid in „Legaljustice„ (iustitia legalis), this means the justice of the laws, which oblige the state to pass fair laws and to require the citizens to fulfil them. The justice of the laws is based on the public welfare. But this justice is also a part of the understanding, that the real sovereign is the citizen himself. The citizen has the last responsibility about this justice.

The exchange justice (kommunitativa) regulates the contact of the people to each other. It is important primarily in the price justice, the contract of employment law, the insurance business and in the transport and communications as well.

The distributing justice has to be added (distributiva), this one has to run the relationship of the citizens to the community. It has to be the fundament of the tax laws ( ???) and has to care about the possibilty of each citizen to be able to unfold himselve intellectual morally.

The social justice has to be added as well since the middle of the 19^th century (2.3.2.5. The forming of the justice concept in the Roman Catholic social teaching up to the social justice). The Sicilian priest Taparelli d´Azeglio was the first one, who used the word of the "social justice in the year 1840. Pius XI. writes 1931 in "Quadragesimo anno":

Based on this encyclical Höffner explains (Christian society teaching site 84 f), that social love is important, to put the hearts together, but it cannot be as a substitution for social justice:

In the end always the question remains about the content of the justice. Does it cover each property order? That cannot be, because there couldn't exist a christian society teaching. There are other ones, who got ideas about that.

The justice philosopher John Rawls had developed 1971 „a theory of justice". He expects, that the distinguishes in income and possession can become clear out of their meaning in the society. Basicly everyone has to have an intake to all posibilities of income furthermore. A really fair social structure, so Rawls, would be such one, each member can agree, also when it doesn't know anything about its own position in this society yet.

Gaudium et spes (Pastoral constitution 1965) tries to find an answer as well, well knowing, that there won't be any complete justice on this world, but all social relationships have to be checked for more justice again and again.

Today the social principles have to be completed with the principle of lasting. In the social and economizing word of the churches is said about this:

Natural right thinking has a long tradition, which reaches back up to the antiquity. In the philosophy of the Middle Ages it was done further intensively. In the natural right thinking of the justice philosophers in the modern times it is the fundament for the link of human dignity with the person of human. Human doesn't have a dignity, because the president gives it to him, but because it is based by God in his inalienable nature. Here the Roman Catholic resistance against the modern dictatorships is also caused.

In the Roman Catholic social taching it has lead to the development and unfolding of the concepts of personality, solidarity and subsidiarity. The concept of social justice was still added. Just subsidiarity and social justice are seperate Roman Catholic developments. These basic concepts cannot be explained away any more of our present social discussion. There lays the great meaning of this idea.

It was furthermore able to express philosophically as well, and so it was understood wider than by religious Christians. This also happened, when you imagine, where the realization of these basic concepts is discussed today.

Primarily the limits consist in the philosophical approach, which cannot be understood so today. New knowledges e.g. also in the brain research ask questions about the real ability of human knowledge, how our brain handles the outer staff. The naturale rightly causes in the social teaching leed finally to the inviolable dignity of human. This has to be valid beyond a certain philosophy and also religion, and has to be generally applicable, it doesn't matter how it's caused, otherwise a fair and enclosing full living together of human is not possible. Otherwise the human dignity is a theory with a restricted reach, which e.g. would be valid only for the culture area, formed by christians. But this didn't want the natural right, it wanted rather, that its principles are valid for all. Around this we have to look further, the ideas are well done. It doesn't matter what is the approach, important is the dignity of human as a fundament of a human and fair society, which serves all people of all religions. Today we are on the way, better than ever before, to the acceptance of the general validity of the human dignity, going on this way the christian society teaching has done great progresses in its natural right.

Modern Protestant social ethic begins, by the opinion of many authors, with the statement of Barmen 1934, in which the confessing church goes below the demand of Jesus, and refuses every kind of leadership and the bringing into one line for the church. Karl Barth has influenced this text.

With that also is looked at the social ethical statements as theology. But the knowledge of other scientific disciplines have to be added here as well. After the war the model of the social market economy was represented. You can notice that the approaches of the in the bible demanded justice are represented here as the best way. In important memorandums was given their opinion of social questions, of expulsion and reconciliation and of questions of peace. Publishing these texts scientists cooperate. One memorandum occupies itself with the competence of the church in social questions (Tasks and limits of church remarks about social questions 1970).

Absolutely here can be formed also an express and resolute No, if there is asked for a confession as such one (status confessionis). But beyond this, there are situations, which ask in a concrete historical situation a common search for a resolving, which fulfils the conditions of the reconciling actions of Jesus. To this belongs also, that such ideas are declared by sensible argumentation. The topics which were brought churches of the 3^rd world into the conservation passing the ecumenical council of church, gave a higher meaning to the concept of social justice more and more. In the measure of the Roman Catholic social teaching became more and more a social proclamation (Paul VI refers in Octogesimo adveniens 1971 clearly to the message of the gospel), these argumentation lines grew together. At this essentially were taken over social principles regarding content. Liberation theological ideas had influence on the Protestant social ethic, also the ideas of a started Kingdom of God became reflected. Today the most statements can be done commonly. This is given expression also in the preface of the Word of the council of the Protestant church in Germany and the German conference of bishops about the economic and social situation in Germany "For a future in solidarity and justice" zum Ausdruck:

From which sociopolitical theories Heinrich Pesch wanted to stand out against with the solidarism?

2. What did he understand with the nature rightly cause?

3. What does "solidarity" mean in his teaching?

4. Name a circle of persons, where solidarity is demanded today.

1. What are the causes of Nell-Breuning for the Roman Catholic social teaching and what is to list here?

2. What does ethic mean according to the spirit of this teaching and what is the meaning of the theologie?

3. What meaning have sociological knowledges by this teaching?

4. What do you think about ethical principles playing a role in the public life? Liste some examples!

Explain the principle of the personality?

2. What does subsidiarity mean?

3. What is the primary and secondary natural right?

4. Are there discussion in the society of today about the validity of moral basic concepts? Name an example!

What have religion and politics common?

While the social teaching, which is based on principles, looks for reality and explains it, the listed approaches of the Roman Catholic social teaching in the chapter 2 look more to the social conditions. These will be represented, analyzed in the view of the approach, and developed corresponding of action approaches. There is found out in the analysis e.g. a high unemployment. But labour is a human dignity, everything has to be done, to reduce the condition of high unemployment.

The newer political theology was developed in Germany by the theologian Johann Baptist Metz (* 1928), who teached in Münster and who had a host of students, among them liberation theologians (e. g. Fernando Castillo, El Problema de la Praxis en la Teologia de la Liberacion. Münster 1976. Alberto de Boni, church on new ways - Reform efforts of the brazilian church and its social implication. Metz wants to set a sign with his theology against the privatization trends in the theology, so he doesn't start with the well-being of the single person, but of the whole society. He sees his theology positivly as a test: "...to formulate the eschatologic message by the conditions of our present society." (J.B. Metz, To the concept of the new political theology side 9)"

The theology of liberation is arisen in South America. It comes from the extreme poverty situation of the people there and wants to enable them to free themselves by the aim of thinking about their situation, handling texts of the bible primarily. An important theological approach is the "Option for the poor ones", with this they should get a priority about thinking and acting of the church. The social pastoral was developed in Latin America. The social relationships are the starting point of the church work. Social pastoral causes also in the experience, that changes as the improvement of the situation of the poor ones have to be supported by all. Both - poor ones and rich ones – have to be motivated to show commitment to juster social conditions. In principle church is church for the other ones. In the German theology this is developed further primarily by Hermann Steinkamp (*1938, teaches in Münster).

Socialpastoral isn't only the stimulation about welfare for single christians, the christian communities and the municipalities. The priority shall be the living practice of solidarity for the poor ones in faiths and lived love in the municipalities and church institutions of the diocese. Solidary and deacon love is an effective proclamation of the Gospel and effective for the whole salvation of the people".
Look: < http://www.kath.de/bistum/limburg/themen/sozialpastoral/sozialpastoral.htm >

Basicwork for this thinking of the society was done by the second Vatican council primarily in its pastoral constitution "Gaudium et spes" (Pleasure and hope), 1965.

Those, who does the council speak to

In this text a newer reference of the world by the church becomes clear. This is on the way with human. The trouble and pleasure of human is the same as of the church. The church is the effective signs of wellbeing of mankind. In this world do live and act the christians. They interpret the signs of the time in the view of the well-being message of God for all people. They show complete commitment to a change in the mind of this message. This thinking is unfolded and continued in the political theology, in the theology of liberation and in the socialpastoral by its own way.

This pastoral orientates itself to the dogmatic constitution of the church (L.G. Nr. 8) of the Second Vatican council, which describes the proclamation of the Gospel to the poor ones and the healing of those, who got in difficulties as model of the pastoral actions by the church.

Juan Carlos Scanone, Weisheit und Befreiung, Volkstheologie in Lateinamerika, Düsseldorf 1992

J.B. Metz, Zum Begriff der neuen politischen Theologie 1967-1997, Mainz 1997

Jürgen Moltmann, Gott im Projekt der modernen Welt, Beiträge zur öffentlichen Relevanz der Theologie, Gütersloh 1997

H. Steinkamp, Sozialpastoral, Freiburg 1991

One the most important theologies of the theology of liberation is Paolo Freire
< http://home.t-online.de/home/ol.pfk/FreireTheologie.htm >

There is a first access to the political theology, it lays in the antiquity. In the end founds the whole community on the intention of the gods. He was authoritative. Therefore priests and temple had a high political meaning. At the philosophy approach of the political theology is the sanctioning the priority of politics. The Stoa was a philosophical line, which saw the whole universe established in an law of natur, founded by God. Also this political authorities are fixed on God. The Stoa had influence from 300 before Christ till far into the Roman imperial time. The emperor represented the intention of the eternal of the law of nature. We have similar views in the work of Augustinus "State of God", in the christian Eastrom they argued similarly as well. But this is real no theology, but political science.

In the Islamic area the Koran is interpreted similarly in the Scharia, a law which is valid for all areas of life and is valid indispensable, but it is completely valid in the Islamic nations only in Saudi Arabia and formerly by the Taliban in Afghanistan, no more in Turkey at all. In the most Islamic nations it's valid only in sections, so in the marriage and family law. In der strict understood Scharia is an immediate product of the religion, this is extreme political theology, mostly as undemocratic state power, that at first excludes the women. But there are absolutely trends in the Islam, understanding this differently. It's important to search the dialog with these.

Carl Schmitt (1888-1985) caused similary his political theology on the enlightenmentunfriendly ideas of the French traditionalist.

"Finally it continues to have an effect in the critical positions of enlightenment and democrazy of the French traditionalism and also in the restoring idea of a „christian state" in the political romanticism, so that C. Schmitt could cause his „political theology" in this century, referenced to these traditions (the first time 1922), his opposition to the Weimarer Republic, as well in general to the parliamentary democracy and his favouring the neon absolutistic, his strict absolutist state idea (till up to the idea of a leader state). „Schmitts theology is theological", which gets attention again in times of higher uncertainty, if need be in this respect, as it understood all national right concepts as secularized theological ones ( imprimatur-Webredaktion )
< http://wwwfb02.uni-muenster.de/fb02/fundtheo/pth.htm >

Schmitt has supported – also by his anti-semitism – many of the national socialist ideologies. His theory isn't a theology, but a fundamentalist political science.

Fundamentalist religion- and politics understanding, then mostly identical, are in the rightradical American sects and e.g. also in the Moonsect. The Elkaida-movement (Osama bin Laden) bases on such a interpretation of the Islam as well, but this causes more in the Koran and is to be seen more as an extreme interpretation of the Koran. Whatever is political fundamentalism for the christians, is the political Islam for the Islam. Both refuse each kind of enlightened discussions of their texts and explain everything immediately on the time of today. The new political theology is different.

The exclusive theological use of the word political theology has to be distinguished from these approaches. To avoide mistakes Metz names his theology and analogous approaches "new political theology". This means a "Theology of the world". This is a fundamental theology for him, which goes first of all the other theologies. He wanted to achieve by this, that the name of God will become privatized (= Theology; theos = God, logos = Word). But religion is no "privat thing" and the church no "Servicebusiness", besides other ones. Important is not only the spiritual welfare of the single person, but the by Jesus present become Kingdom of God with its salvation vision fo rall. Theology is no private event and has to be in the public society.

"This understanding of the political theology got a ecumenical relevance just at the beginning. So J. Moltmann connected his „theology of hope" with its intentions and D. Sölle formulated her criticism the existential hermeneutics of Bultmann as „political theology". Unmistakable is for the ecumenical background this political theology the influence of D.  Bonhoeffers and the church- and society critical interpreted S. Kierkegaard..."
( imprimatur-Webredaktion )
< http://wwwfb02.uni-muenster.de/fb02/fundtheo/pth.htm >

The starting point is the tale of woe of mankind. It culminates in Auschwitz, which became the terrible symbol of the genocide. Here arises not only by religious Jew the question, where God was in all this misfortune. Does he stand out of the way, can he suffer at all sorrow, because he is the all-powerful and the absolutely perfect one. The answer of God is his son at the cross, there he proves his sympathy. That means: In Auschwitz he was with the murdered in the gas chamber. This God shows clearly as well, that he doesn't allow human to be destroyed in the misfortune. That shows the resurrection of his son.

From this it becomes clear, that I cannot admire God with the back to Auschwitz. First the misfortune experience of the others have to be handled. We have to support about carrying it. But we have to account here the hope, which is in ourselves (1 Petr. 3.15). That will be done at the best by our actions against suffering, injustice, lack of freedom and strife. We hope that the arrived Kingdom of God will be complete one day. For this we are active witnesses.

But for this a new church is necessary. This new church has to be an institution of "Liberty of the faith", a public tradition, a "dangerous memory" to death and resurrection of Jesu and his message of the comen Kingdom and the completion of God's justice's.

This church has to become a church of the people. The people themselves have to live this memory, and have to make clear in groups and little communities, that it will not bowe down, when there is any concrete injustice. The church has to change from a service-church to a basic-church "Church of the people".

(J.B. Metz, To the concept of a new political theology, Mainz 1997 Seite 165f)

The disunity of the world is also a theological task. "Conditions which contradict the Gospel directly, - as there are exploitation, oppression, impoverishment, torture and racism - , are challenges to the theology and demand the formulation of the faith in categories as there are solidarity, contradiction and change". (Source like before J. B. Metz Site 166)

In the synod of the dioceses in the Federal Republic in Würzburg (1971-1975) basis the fundamental text on the decision "Our hope" of Metz. This decision became, so to speak, the theological basis of the further 17 synod decisions. One part of the text shall be quoted here (chapter IV: Sendings for the global church and the global society). Just about this the German church was very busy in the last years as well. I look only for the action of the carol singers, meanwhile the greatest helping actions of children in the whole world . Here grows the church of the people.

We have to act, to help and to share just in our own country here – out of the consciousness, to be one common people of God, that was called for a subject of a new promising history, and to participate the table community of the Lord, as the great sacrament of this new history. The costs which are demanded from us for this, aren't additional alms, they are actually the expenses our Catholicism, the expenses of our being of God's people, the price of our orthodoxy". (Common synod of the dioceses in the Federal Republic of Germany, Freiburg 1976, 109 f)

What Metz wanted, is shown in the final personal reflection of his own live-history with God and the theology. It begins with his terrible experiences about sorrow and trouble, he had at the end of World War II as a 16 year old soldier, and ends with the following sentences:

"I stop here. As a red line of this biographical way may be the memoria passionis, remembering the strange sorrow as a basic category of christian talking about God, so the under the signatures of the time one more time discussed sociocritical question about Theodizee (Author: Does God exists at all, when we see all those, who suffer, and when, then how does he exist?), however a question, which simply cannot be taken care of the christian release message. It remains a loud or also lodless cry. This has recently arranged me to ask Jürgen Habermas friendly, whether is it is sure, that the basic cause of human language is communication and not perhaps the cry yet. There are questions for me to God, to the God of Abraham, Isaak and Jakob, to the God Jesus, questions, I can talk about, but I don't have any answers. And so I did a prayer of my own: Why my God the sorrow, why the fault? Why did you not take precautions (to speak with Eberhard Jüngel) against the evil?" (J. B. Metz, Site 210f)

Metz has left a theology, which finally was only a system of ideas and in the same moment without any reality. His theology is political, according to people and the world, particularly by the consideration of trouble experiences. His God doesn't move over everything transcendentally and untouchable, but can be find out mystical, that means in the middle of the life, particularly also in trouble. This experience becomes so a hope for faith and a life with hope. Evidence of this hope has to be given, by words but also primarily by actions, this grows out of the new political theology. The church needs these mystical experiences, which are possible primarily in the basic parish People-God-Church. It isn't the system first, but the found out live, which is reflected in the faith.

Metz is a fundamental theologian, no practical theologian, who is orientated to church actions. But he makes clear to all theologies, that theology is a practice orientated science, which shows commitment to reducing trouble and creating hope. His influence becomes clear in the various theology areas, particularly in the feminist, but also in the theology of liberation

At the begin of the theology of Jürgen Moltmann are also the cruel experiences of World War II:

"At the begin there were these terrible vision, in which the dreams of a whole generation burned down. At the end of July 1943 Hamburg was destroyed by a fire storm. Jürgen Moltmann was an air-force assistant in downtown. The bomb tore to pieces the schoolfriend besides him, he was spared. "In this night I cried to God the first time: Where are you? For what am I still alive, and not dead as the other ones either?" The naive idealism of his parental home broke for the 17 year old boy. During the 3 years of captivity he looked for an answer, first in the plaintive psalm, later in the Gospel by Markus. "As I found the death cry of Jesus, I knew: There is your divine brother and saviour, who understands you in your godforsakeness." (< > Ez-Archives online, Author: Hagen Faust)

Christian theology has to interfere, so Jürgen Moltmann. Whoever orientates himself at the person, the history and the actions of Jesus Christ, has to be political and biassed, because of the hope, which results out of the message of the Kingdom of God.

Therefore theology must be public. This means:

As political theology it has to fight for the freedom and liberation of human.

Solidarity is demanded against the inhuman egoism, which widens more and more

It fights against all trends of limitless markets and the globalization with all the powerful for the dignity of human, for the nature and the following generations.

The church has to look for the solidarity of the degraded and beated ones. Moltmann makes this clear by his cross theology. By the site of eschatology (Waiting for the coming) the resurrection of Jesus the Crucified has to be emphasized as the other side: The cross of this risen from the dead. In a culture, which is orientated more to the prosperity, this might become forgotten very easily. Many people become blind for the suffer of the other ones. But various other ones have opened their eyes in memory of the presence of Jesus the Crucified. If churches have understood this, they may not search the alliances with the powerful but the solidarity with the degraded, with those who live in the darkness and death shade, in the shade of the cross.

In the theology of hope (1964) Moltmann saw the whole theology in another focal point of attention.

"The question of the salvationmeaning of the Crucified was discussed enough for us. The question is, what does the cross mean for God? Is an apathetic God in the heaven silent and unmoved by to suffering and death of his child on Golgatha, how it is maintained by the old metaphysical statement of a der dispassionate loftiness, which has to distinguish a God? Or does God suffer himself these pains and this death "?
(< > Ez-Archives online, Author: Hagen Faust)

Because God is the love, he is able to suffer. The death of Jesu by crucifixion becomes the revelation of the suffering of God for us. While since Luther the personal side of justification is emphasized for the modern Protestantism, the solidarity with the suffering ones and suppressed becomes the socialsite as justification more and more important.

"Starving and being thirsty for justice" is the subject in the world.

Whoever talks about political theology, has also to talk about Dorothee Sölle (*1929 in Köln). This becomes clear in a poem for pentecost: Contexts to the readings (Pentecost sunday, year of reading A, May 26^th, 1996, Arranged by P. Alois Kraxner and P. Hans Hütter, CD)

Dorothee Sölle was influenced by the feminist and also by the theology of liberation. In her works she represents politically a point of view, which is orientated at the humanism. She has supported decisively the forming of the church critical team „Politisches Nachtgebet", which was founded 1969 in Köln. "A chapter theology after the death of God", which was published 1965 was received controversially. 1999 she wrote a book " Mysticism and resistance" "You quiet shouting" Great figures of the mysticism from Maria and Martha up to Dom Helder Camara are presented. Or Dorothy Day, the fascinating founder of "Catholic worker", who had to go to prison even with the age of 19 years in 1917, because her involvement in a demonstration in front of the White House in the USA. After her baptism with 30 years she only lives poor for the poor ones. Mysticism leeds to a rescued life. Mysticism is possible only under inclusion of the social realities and the resistance against these. Mysticicm is the antiauthoritarian element in every religion.

Other ones, like Roger Schütz von Taize, have talked about contemplation and fight. Whoever is anchored in God, is able for resistance against injustice conditions, just men, like Nikolaus Groß, have shown this.

Dorothee Sölle herself is an example for mysticism and resistance, it becomes at the clearest by the poem before, because she has been always also a poet.

Frauenforschungsprojekt zur Geschichte der Theologinnen, Neukirchen/Vlyn, 1994

Halkes, Catharina, Gott hat nicht nur starke Söhne, GTB 1985

Meyer-Wilmes, Hedwig, Zwischen lila und lavendel, Regensburg, 1996

Moltmann-Wendel, Elisabeth, Menschenrechte für die Frau / Frauenbefreiung, München, 1978

Schottroff, Luise, Lydias ungeduldige Schwestern, Gütersloh, 1994

Schüssler-Fiorenza, Elisabeth, Zu ihrem Gedächtnis, München / Mainz, 1988

Schlangenbrut, Streitschrift für feministisch und religiös interessierte Frauen, unverschämt lebendig – lateinamerikanische Befreiungstheologie, Nr. 75, 11/2001

About economic questions is pointed to the following publishings:

Beverly Wildung, Harrison, Die neue Ethik der Frauen. Stuttgart 1991

Feministische Plattform Wirtschaftsethik. Evangelische Akademie Iserlohn. Tagungsprotokolle 97,6. Iserlohn 1997

Günter, Andrea, u.a. (Hrsg.), Weiberwirtschaft weiterdenken. Luzern (Exodus) 1998

Meyers, Diana T. (Hrsg.), Feminist Social Thougth. New York 1997

Wacker, Marie-Theres, Seminar für Theologische Frauenforschung. Uni Münster,

List of literature about feminist theology

Frauen in der Amtskirche
< http://www.antjeschrupp.de/frauen_in_der_amtskirche.htm >

Frauen und orthodoxes Judentum
< http://www.antjeschrupp.de/chana_safrai.htm >

Gössmann, Elisabeth
< http://www.antjeschrupp.de/goessmann.htm >

Halkes, Catharina, (niederländisch)
< http://www.kun.nl/cvv/halkesprijs.html >

Hundert Jahre Woman's Bible - (1895-1995)
< http://www.antjeschrupp.de/womens_bible.htm >

Schlangenbrut, Streitschrift für feministisch und religiös interessierte frauen
< http://www.schlangenbrut.de >

Schüssler-Fiorenza, Elisabeth
< http://www.antjeschrupp.de/schuessler_fiorenza.htm >

SEWA Frauenselbsthilfeorgansition
< http://www.sewa.org/ >

Zur Geschichte einer weiblichen Theologietradition
< http://www.antjeschrupp.de/theologinnengeschichte.htm >

The topic of the feminist theology has to be taken to this place, because it is a political theology, also according to the theolgy of liberation. Social it belongs to the area of the emancipation of the women. In principle there are two aim groups: To strengthen the part of women in the church and in the society.

The feminist theology is an ecumenical movement, which was started decisively at the same time as the women movement in the USA in the sixties. There were some reflections like these in the time before as well. The feminist theology doesn't want to analyse the oppression of the women only, but it wants also to change them. Therefore the women in the USA show a critical commitment to the situation of the women by the theological teaching, in the church and in the society. In all areas the conditions became clear: The men had the authority.

Elisabeth Moltmann-Wendel took the ideas of women movement from theUSA to Germany. Unlike in the USA this theology couldn't be put through in many chairs of theological faculties here. Its place is more in church academies, in the Roman Catholic and Protestant actions of women and at Roman Catholics and Church congresses. After all the number of female chair owners in the theology altogether is growing. The feminist theology shows commitment to real equal rights, because it has the justifiable opinion, that this also has influence to the contents of the theology.

How necessary this was, shows the example of Elisabeth Gössmann (*1928). Elisabeth Gössmann was one of the first Roman Catholic theologians, who are qualified as a university lecturer in Germany. But the churchhistory and middle ages expert didn't get a chair here in this country, she had to go to Japan. Her great contribution is primarily, to find old scriptures of women and open them to the research.

< http://www.antjeschrupp.de/goessmann.htm > (hr2 24. 9. 2000)

Feminist theology begins with interpretation of the bible. Irrespective of that the bible is done more by a society, which is orientated more to men, it is important to work out figures of women and to make clear hidden connections, which are missed in the men orientated exegese till now.

Elisabeth Schüssler-Fiorenza has developed the methodical approach of hermeneutics (Key about understanding of texts) in four steps. How can be understood correctly the divine message in a text.

(< http://www.antjeschrupp.de/schuessler_fiorenza.htm >" hr2 10.12.2000)

In the first step it has to be looked for hidden parts of the text, in which women were driven out. Luise Schottroff has proved, that with Lydia in Philippi a women managed a parish (House parish) in the time of Paulus.

In the later following history of the New Testament women became driven out of central tasks more and more.

The second step is remembering the suffering and hopes of women in texts, formed by men.. Here primarily the figures of women of the Old Testament are to be noticed. Here the contact to Jewish exegetes is important. God has created man and woman by the dignity:

Nevertheless, in the history of the bible women have to take the second place again and again. This is primarily very clear in the priestly service in the temple as well, which was run only by men. A decision, what still continues primarily in the Roman Catholic church of today. The suffering of the women by this problem has to become clear.

The third step handles the proclamation of the text. Not the historical report is important, but the statement of faith, a vision. The freeing faith statement has to be worked out. For example, the discussion about the creation of the woman from the rib doesn't mean a neglect, but means that man and woman are of equal rank, after listing all animals, both together are human.

(The expressions of man (isch) and woman (ischáh) are similar in the Hebrew)

The message is: Human is man and woman of the same body.

The forth step handles the creative appropriation of the text. It shall be transferred by the involved creativly into the world of today by dancing, painting and poems .... The dance of the sister of Moses after the liberation from the Egyptians at the Red sea indicates the liberation as an event, which can be done today by many women of the world.

Mirjam and the women thank God for the liberation. Today an existing neglect is still fighted, primarily by the emancipation.

By these steps it becomes clear, that it is not only a academic theology, but a theology of women for women, who shall work out further this, by reading freely the bible and to find their message for the world of today by this way.

Is the Christianity a religion, in which only the men have the authority? In the view of today it may seem so. But in the year 1405 one woman had a completely different opinion. Christine de Pizan, a Venetian theologian and author, wrote at that time in her „book of the town of the women.":

"In the holy legends and stories about Jesus Christus and his disciples you will meet seldom critics of women. Similar is valid about the stories of the saints; rather you will find there examples of amazing steadfastness and and innumerable virtues, with those women are blessed by the mercy of God. Oh how charitable, merciful, intrepid they are, and, how circumspect and friendly the women are contacting God's servants! Even if there are any fools of masculine sex regard this as completely insignificant, nobody can dispute, that suchworks in our religion are ladders, which would go up to the heaven".

< http://www.antjeschrupp.de/theologinnengeschichte.htm > (hr2 am 25.11.1998)

The first woman bible in the USA was a declaration of war against the attitude of the churches against the women. It was talked about e.g. right to vote for women.

"1895 in the USA was published the first edition of "Woman's Bible", a women bible, published by the feminist Elizabeth Cady-Stanton. Together with a group of authors she has written an extensive bible, where all places are listed, which are important for women. The Woman Bible was an anticlerical book. It should support women, who fought at that time for the right to vote and her civil equality, by arguments against the church, which wanted to keep the social subordination of the women, reffering to the bible. The Woman's Bible is not a theological book first, but a political one - after five decades fight for female emancipation Elizabeth Cady-Stanton became convinced, that the position of the woman in the society can't be changed, when there is no discussion of the ideological and religious woman pictures."
< http://www.antjeschrupp.de/womens_bible.htm > (Anna Nocke hr2 1995)

Anyway, it lasts real up to today. Women in many nations look for their situation with feminist theology, what will be different in the situation of the women in South America or in Africa. The understanding of female Christians has to break up the part of the woman in church and society. Their fight is for equal rights of the woman in all areas.

Just in the Latin-American theology of liberation the feminist contribution becomes bigger and bigger, although often they are not women, having a doctorate theologically, who run these subjects. At this they begin with the poverty situation, particularly of the women, and describe them new in the view of a feminist, social-economic und cultural analysis. Not only the poverty of the women, but their total suppression situation is noticed.

The weekday of the women is reflected theologically. Biblical female figures how e.g. the aggressive Judith offer approach-points for critical reflection. Indian and African traditions are thought about. An intensive theological exchange is called with the feminist theologians in Asia and Africa, where similar developments are running. In the feminist theology of liberation the liberation situation becomes more concrete, in its feminist approach the necessary social analysis have to be done concretly and more intensivly as prerequisite of theology. So this theology is a gain for the theology of liberation and the feminist theology, primarily however a gain for the women.

In the first approaches of a feminist social teaching for the European area is looked for all topics of the economic emancipation with the titel "Weiberwirtschaft". Similar is valid for the nations of the Third world. Women run often the supply competence for their families in the poor nations.

By "Goats-banks" (reasonable lending of getting goats for economic independence, the pay back can also be done with live animals) and similar institutions their economic competence is strengthened and their emancipation as well.

There is e.g. the woman initiative SEWA (Self Employed Woman Association – Organisation of women, occupying themselves <http://www.sewa.org/ >

The Indian woman labor union SEWA organizes, since its foundation 1974, around 320.000 women, both, in the country and in the town and serves many cooperatives for work done by hand, as well as an education center with economic and technical courses; the handling of media and new ways of communication are teached as well. It's about women in need, women with various occupations, women, who work on a daily basis and without a firm employer at the street, at home or at the fields. They are members of all religions and castes. At the basis of a cooperation an own bank was founded by them.

The aim of SEWA is the uniting of all independent female workers. They also discuss problems of health and education. They came powerful and with the spirit for invention out of the shade.

The SEWA Bank was founded 1974 with 4000 members, with a capital stock of Rs.10. for each of them. Today there are 93.000 aktive shareholders. 1999 celebrated the SEWA Bank its 25-year anniversary, to offer financial services to poor, independent women. At first the credit was granted to free them out of the talons of the moneylenders, to do trade, to improve their business, and to form property with their own name and for the education of the children, for emergencies including illness.

The Swashrayi Mahila Sewa cooperation was the first of this kind. To get a reserve bank for these Indian women, a long struggle was declared. But the women were decided on this. They insisted on their idea. They formed bank systems, which were suitable for their own needs, they run well their bank for more then two decades. They own their bank. It has always been financially reliable und useable and has earned surpluses and dividends for their shareholder.

Similar organizations are WOTR < http://www.wotr.org/ > which support primarily projects in the villages and watersource borings, and Grameen, a bank for small economic projects.
< www.grameen-info.org/ >

SEWA (but also in many other regions) cooperates intensively with the so-called EDP – Exposure-Dialog-Programm (To expose themselves to a situation and to prepare the dialog), which was developed by Karl Osner. This initiative is supported by the society for support of the north-south dialog (NSD). Members are competent persons of the German commission Justitia et Pax (the bishops) primarily out of the area of the foreign aid. Here a new way of social teaching for a juster world is developing.

EDP can have more education character and can be more orientated to the sensitization of the participants for tasks like poverty fighting. They can support more and more the purpose, to develope cooperations. Important is also the check for the possibility of repitition of new resolvings, e.g. in other countries, as well as the evaluation of studying experiences inthe various exposure programs.
Statements of participants are presented here:
< http://www.exposure-nsd.de/Unser_Angebot.htm >

The mainprinciples of this work are:

· Dialog required openness and respect"

The worldwide great oppression situation of the women in rich and poor countries, so in many areas of South America, but also Asia and Africa, which are formed often by the christian religion too, in countries formed by the Moslem and other religions, this movement and the feminist theology with social ethical approach, will make it necessary to fight a long time. Here in Germany the feminist theology has a lot to catch up on.

The new political theology doesn't see theology as a complete system of sentences about God, but it acts in the middle of the real world.

Because of this it has to be continued again and again. It knows, that the meassage of the Gospel announces the arrival of the Kingdom of God in our time. Evidence has to be given for this hope, by words and actions. This opinion leads then to church critical remarks, because there are things in the institution church, which do not correspond to this message. Here begins primarily the feminist theology. But basicly the world has to be formed by the message of the Kingdom of God in justice and peace, also between women and men.

Since the end des Second Vatican council 1965 a theology becomes more and more important in South America, growing up to the end of the eighties. It is the theology of liberation. Today, it is discussed more again. This theology had had great influence on the social teaching of the church, running the option of the poor ones. The base municipalities have their basis here. Many bishops like e.g. Helder Camara or Oscar Romero have to be named here. Theologians of liberation as the brothers Helder Camara or Oscar Romero have had great influence. All Latin American conferences of bishops and their documents are memories, as well as those of synods in Medellìn (Colombia 1968) and Puebla (Mexico 1979), up to the careful Roman convergence. Today, under the conditions of the globalization, which allow the deep rift to grow between the rich and the poor ones, right through the middle of the nations, starts this discussion one more time. Primarily at the example of Brazil this theology shall be introduced.

Boff, Leonardo, Aus dem Tal der Tränen ins Gelobte Land, Rio de Janeiro 1980, Düsseldorf 1984

Adveniat, Die Kirche in der gegenwärtigen Umwandlung Lateinamerikas im Lichte des Konzils, Beschlüsse der II: Generalversammlung Celam, Medellìn 1968, Aachen, Dokumente und Projekte 1968

Cardenal, Ernesto (aufgezeichnet von E.C.) das Evangelium von Solentiname, Wuppertal 1980

Freire, Paolo, Der Lehrer ist Politiker und Künstler, Neue Texte zu befreiender Bildungsarbeit,(Sammlung verschiedener Aufsätze), Hamburg 1981

Freire, Paolo, Pädagogik der Unterdrückten, Stuttgart/ Berlin 1971

Gutierrez Merino, Gustavo, Theologie der Befreiung, München 1973

Hartmann, Günter, Christliche Basisgruppen und ihre befreiende Praxis, Mainz 1980

Misereor, Land, ein lateinamerikanisches Lesebuch, Aachen 1991

Scanone, Juan Carlos, Weisheit und Befreiung, Volkstheologie in Lateinamerika

A detailed literaturelist of German works about this topic is done by Scanone, in his book named before.

More literatureremarks in the internet
< http://members.aol.com/befreiungstheo/ >
in the appendix of the detailed article about thge theology of liberation: LITERATURVERZEICHNIS, also an extensive representation theology of liberation

Theology of liberation < http://www.bessereweltlinks.de/book28a7.htm >

Boff, Leonardo, theology of liberation and globalization
< http://www.volny.cz/christianpeace/cpc/info/wn002n.htm >

Culture of the silence – theology of liberation < http://home.t-online.de/home/ol.pfk/FreireTheologie.htm >

Short biographies of theologians of liberation
< http://members.aol.com/befreiungstheo/libbio.html >

Power and authority of women in the official church (prot.)
< http://www.antjeschrupp.de/frauen_in_der_amtskirche.htm >

In the year 1992 the 500 years anniversary of christianity in south America was celibrated. The Indians have complained, that it wasn't thought about them really. Christianization of South America, that meaned conquest in their eyes. Religion was a part of the biography and a part of the power of the conquerors against the oppressed Indians. This became clear the first time by the person of Las Casas. He arrived in Westindia 1502 in company of a governor. He joined absolutely in the oppression of those Indians, who were allocated to him. He was ordained as a priest 1507, joined in the conquest of Cuba. When he should celebrate a service for the conquerors and as he met the text of Sir 34,21-27, ",.. the life of the poor is the bread, whoever embezzles it for them, is a killer...", his eyes were opened and he recognized the contradiction between faith and life.

His involvement in the import of black slaves became tragically one more time. But this subject existed really. Las Casas writes to the Emperor about the raging of the Germans in the neighboring Venezuela, which was awarded to the Welser: "But I think, they rage much more and much crueler, than all barbarians named before, even more beastly and raging, than the bloodthirstiest tigers and most enraged wolves and lions. They act much mader and blinder in miserliness and covetousness, as all their predecessors, invented even more abominable ways, to extort gold and silver, there was no fear about God and the king, and there was no shame for human; and because they had all possible freedom, and the justice of the whole country was in their hands, they forgot almostly, that all were mortals."

But if the pillaging of the country was the priority, primarily around gold, then no way was to bad for all conquerors. Conquering the inland regions it was raged among the indian population. To spare them (Las Casas took care for them), but primarily also to get new workers, a high number of black slaves were abducted from Afrika to South america mostly by brutal violence. That was the other side of the commitment of Las Casas. A layering in the population developed, at the top was the nobility and the rich ones, then followed the creoles, white ones, who were born in South America.

A struggle between Spaniards and Portugueses South America was divided up by a arbitration of the pope 1493: nearly the later Brazil for Portugal and all the other areas for Spain.

The systematic conquest of the inland region was started by the Welser.

What is the position of the church: with the rich ones or with the poor ones of Jahwe, as newer texts say, by reverting to the Old Testament. This shall be shown now by the development in Brazil in the time later than 1930. Then followed the mestizos and mulattos, the indians and the black ones. Around 1800 in Brazil 50% of the population was slaves (1 million). The inequality caused often tensions and rebellions. Viceroys and governors reigned, appointed by Portugal and Spain.

Brazil got the independence of Portugal in October 1822, but kept the monarchy as form of government up to 1889, when the republic was founded. The other nations fought for this at the begin of the 19^th century. At the end of the 19^th century the age of republics and military dictatorships began. Nearly nothing had changed, because the power was still in the hands of the rich ones, which were often supported by the church. The social conditions still remain as disastrous as before. The church was on the side of the rich ones.

The end of the 19^th century and the 20^th century took place against the background of the intruding of the USA, who saw South America as their natural influence area (with a natural right). They wanted to prevent left-wing orientated governments, this was done by the cooperation with military dictatorships. Their politics was called dollar diplomacy, policy of the great stick. The poverty and discontent rose further. This politics was changed by Roosevelt in a policy of the good neighborhood, but many – primarily economic oppression mechanisms still ran. In spite of in the meantime started industrialization, mostly the town regions had advantage by this, the industry production 1990 was only 30% of the gross inland national product. Particularly the country areas are poor. The population has doubled itself since 1960, now there live 304 million inhabitants.

Let's turn to Brazil in a special way. The first period was from 1930 to 1964. It came right after the world economic crisis an. The nation became more independent. The American and Anglo-Saxon influence became reduced by the fall of the Coffee and Cocoa-boom. The first republic was taken off by the second. So-called populistic movements were founded. The Populismo is a peculiar movement, which is limited at the southern continent. It took as a rule the place of strong laicistic systems. These had abolished the conventional connections between church and state, and reduced seriously the rights of the church, up to the destruction fight against the church in Mexico. The leader of the Populismo in Brazil was in fact atheist, but he wanted a new cooperation with the church. The church was hoping für a "new Christendom" by this. Later Populismo was very important for the basic movement. Therefore it shall be handled here shortly.

The new government wanted to take off the national oligarchie. But there was no middle level, which could run the power. Therefore ruling was personified strongly. In his arbitrator service between the rival social groups the president counted on the peoples masses. These got a political meaning for the first time. But no class consciousness was formed, also not when agricultural workers became more and more factory workers. The government acted more paternalistic. In this situation no structural changes couldn't be got against the till now ruling class. Just later education movements were founded, primarily by the unions. They were seen as a risc, because they discussed the powersituation. The government wasn't able to protect these movements, they were destroyed by the revolt.

In the time of the second republic new church activities were formed as a kind of restoration. The church got possibilities from the state in the area of education. The government placed on growth and foreign capital. The slums in the cities grew. The church started to show commitment to the ordinary people. Social and educational programs were formed, so the education of liberation of Paulo Freire, and the movement of fundamental education in the northeast of Brazil. Liberation and base are named now as subjects. The movement (Movimento) was the precursor of the basismovement by its foundation in locale groups. The life expectancy in the northeast was about 27 years, and the illitracy about 50%. The new movement was established with the laymen and connected to the church.

State interventions and the military putsch were run 1964. The revolt should protect the further inflow of capital and the growth against the increasing social tensions. Since this revolt the ways of the church and the state diverged more and more. The position of the church was more and more at the side of the poor ones. The church was a part of the oppressed people.

At the same time the church made the experience of persecution and martyrdom. A document was published 1973 by the bishops and the leaders of the holy orders with the title "I have heard the cry of my people (Ex 3,7)". 1976 the Brazilian conference of bishops swang in to this line. The matter of the people was no more the matter of the government, but of the church. The movement of Populismo found a kind of continuation in another form. You have to know these things about the forming of base municipalities, to be able to assess this correctly.

The second Vatican council (end 1965) introduced a change in the thoughts of the bishops. In texts of Lumen gentium (Light of the nations – dogmatic constitution about the church) was shown by a special way the commitment for the poor ones.

In asimilar way the church surrounds all those with its love, who became touched by human weakness, yes, the church recognizes in the poor ones and sufferers the image of this one, who has founded it, and who was himself a poor one and a sufferer. It strives for making the need easier and tries to serve God by serving them."

The pastoral constitution "Gaudium et spes" explains about this:

Even reading this text the spirit of a biblically well-founded option for the poor ones is to feel. Elmar Klinger explains this in a lecture to the social pastoral at February 1998 in Trier:

These bishops, among them Helder Camara of Brazil, fixed the way of the church to the poor ones. Helder Camara has supported seriously the development of the theology of liberation or pastoral of liberation. He was born on February 7^th, 1909 in Fortaleza/Brazil. He was priest, after integralistic wanderings he became 1952 suffragan bishop of Rio de Janeiro. He ran the positon of the secretary general of the national conference of bishops of Brazil (CNBB) since its founding 1952 up to 1964, and became 1964 archbishop of Olinda and Recife. There are only some résumés of bishops, which are linked so close to the fight of the church for social justice like this one of Dom Helder Camara, he died in the age of 90 years on August 28^th, 1999. The name "red bishop" was given to him. In a short time he was called a communist. He said: "If I give any food to the poor ones, they call me a saint. If I ask, why these poor ones don't have any food, they call me a communist". He was called the "voice of the poor ones". His house was shot at several times with machine-guns. Camara didn't move into the bishop palace, he gave it to the church commission for human rights. He took a modest living place in the center of Recife. His secretary was murdered. Because he spoke against the torture in foreign countries, the military government forbade him interviews. "It looked as if the earth had swallowed me ... A circular of the military government to the presse said short and sweet, that I don't exist any more", so he remembered later.

He came from the council and supported the new begin of the Roman Catholic church of Latin Americas in the sixties. He tried to make popular the needs of the developing countries to the public world by the initiative "church of the poor ones". As a sign for the final ceremony of the council he suggested: »We could lay our golden and silver bishop crosses in front of the feet of the pope and could get crosses made of bronze or wood, as signs for the decision, to run a simple lifestyle, as the Gospel tells. The splendor of the Vatican is a bone of contention.«

In coordination with cardinal Giovanni Montini, (later Paul VI.), he founded the Brazilian conference of bishops in the fifties, lateron the Latin-American conference of bishops Celam (All Latin-American bishops, including Mexico). He became one of the main characters at the conference of bishops Celam 1968 in the Colombian Medellìn and 1979 in Puebla in Mexiko as well. At this he helped decisively, to introduce the Roman Catholic social teaching in South America and to decvelope them further for these nations.. He died on August 28^th , 1999 in Recife/Brazil.

The meeting of the 2^nd general meeting, Celam, 1968 Medellìn was a very important meeting of the Roman Catholic bishops of Latin America. The subject was: "The church in the present transformation of Latin Americas in the light of the council". The result was a kind of "Pastoral plan" , which they listed in the same chapter with "Frameworks for social pastoral", the development of the church starting in this continent.

This meeting was a milestone for the development of the church in Latin America, with special effects primarily by the options done there. After very intensive preparation and hard discussions up to the society, the church changed its position and began to see itself as the "church of the poor ones". By this it strenghthens significant the existing approaches of the Second Vatican council, but they weren't pronounced very much yet.

There were three options, for the poor ones, for the approach of the liberation and for the base municipalities, which still were called base communities. There were 16 decisions, done by the three steps "Notice-Justice-Act". First of all the chuch has to become a church for the poor ones, when its option for the poor ones shall be noticed plausible. The people are waiting for liberation by the church.

The liberation of human causes at the freeing actions of God. Israel has experienced this in the exodus out of Egypt. This experience is extended by Jesus and the effects continues today, if his step is felt on the way to more human life conditions. The idea of the liberation will then get a very serious meaning.

Parishes shall be founded, primarily in rural areas and church communities in municipal slums, which are still called at other places base communities. The word base municipality isn't used yet. First they are seen as a "We" forming structures.

The encouragement of the meeting in Medellìn was historically one of the most important initiatives for the development of the christian communities in the Roman Catholic church. The base communities and the theological research get a considerable initiative. It was something like a breaking up in the Latin-American church.

In an apostolic letter "Evangelii nuntiandi" (Proclamation of the Gospel) the pope Paul VI accepts 1975 the way of the evangelization as an extensive liberation. In the center of the evangelization has to be the extensive message of salvation of Jesus Christ. It is a message, which includes the whole life of human. Therefore the liberation out of the neon colonialism of today is the task of the church.

It orientates to the message of the Kingdom of God. Using violence is excluded by this liberation. It is the right way to form structures, which are less suppressing, but here it has to be looked for the impossibility, that the most ideal systems gets inhuman quickly, if there is no conversion of the hearts. The pope summarizes the specific support of the church about the liberation:

By this document a clarification should be shown, really, it has contributed very much about this like no other document before in its working history. Evangelization is seen extensivly, liberation of sins and of social structures situations, which are inhumane. However, a final clarification couldn't be done, neither in Latin America nor in Vatican groups. This thinking was simply too new and too radical for many of them.

Anyway, heavy tensions occured, regarding some opinions about the question of justification of revolution, perhaps liberation may not be seen too material and also not as a release in the theological meaning. However, the marxist analysis (contrast of capital and work) cannot be refused generally, or the church understanding may be orientated to close to "God's people". The more conservative appointements as bishop chairs by the Vatican have to be added, may be they wanted to keep away the break-in of various sects, primarily coming from the USA. Adveniat started this discussions supported by more conservative theologian as well.

Therefore the topic of the theology of liberation was discussed one more time at the general meeting 1979 in Celam in Puebla (Mexico). The topic was: "The evangelization in the presence and the future of Latin America ".

The opening speech was done by Johannes Paul II. He called for unit in love and truth. Our proclamation has to orientate itself at the correct understanding of the person of Jesus and the coming Kingdom of God. He emphasized, that Jesus was no revolutionary and referred again and again to the statements of his predecessor in Evangelii nuntiandi (EN). Proclamation of the Gospel and commitment for people in need are tasks of the Gospel. He said among other things:

The leading of Celam became more conservative by these bishop appointments. This should be reached by the available documents. Vision was a Roman Catholic society, which should be contacted by the conventional social teaching. This would have been the official end of the new way of the theology of liberation and of the pastoral of liberation. But this line couldn't be put through. The majority pleaded for the taken way. In the extensive documents the pastoral options of Medellìn were confirmed essentially. The option for the poor ones became consolidated. The church communities were called now officially base municipalities (depending on translation also base communities). No condemnation of the theolgy of liberation theology was done, but also no confirmation. The priority of the service for the poor ones was named very clearly.

Later the religious congregation intervened two times by letters of Cardinal Ratzinger: 1984 with the instruction about some aspects of the "Theology of liberation" and 1986 with the document "About the christian liberty and liberation". The main topic was the discussions about the theology of liberation. There is the impression, that these documents should more translate the approach of liberation than the conventional approach. However, they contain absolutely the supporting approaches of the theology of liberation as well.

Totally, in the liberation movement, the development at the basis came into the view, which changed from objects of the spiritual welfare to acting ones. The two Latin-American synods are no synods of the theology of liberation, they are more a social pastoral, which accounces by its options for the poor ones an extensive freeing Gospel, like Jesus did, and wants to live it as well. They want to listen to the "Cry of the poor ones" and to react, standing up common with them for justice.

Originally they talked more about church communities, later about basic parishes. This mentioned briefly a development, that the christian base communities came closer to the official pastoral. This development of the basic parishes was judged variously, also here in Germany. Basic parishes seemed to be a magic word for many, like a resolving model for all our pastoral problems. For others it seemed to come from the marxist theory and contained great dangers, like the destruction of the church starting by the left-wing. Today the gleam seems to fade, the social conditions became even harder, did the basic parishes fight without any success? Discussed between the doctrine of salvation and left-wing ideology it gets necessary, to handle the topic basic parishes. Behind this there is - refrained from the judgment - an exciting concept. A concept, which sees human in a social correlation. In the following the history of forming the basic parishes shall be shown, the sociological and theological implications shall be worked out and the possibility of the pastoral transfer shall be checked.

Since the second Vatican council, Medellìn (1968) and primarily Puebla (1979) the way of the church is clear, although among the priests and bishops there are still representatives of the old line (Cooperation with the rich ones and powerful). The meaning of this development is clear, when you know, that there are more than 100 000 basic parishes in Brazil in the meantime, with nearly 15 million Roman Catholics (around 1982). So each priest has to serve about 10.000 Roman Catholics on average and 7 - 8 basic parishes. This is a considerable development at consideration of the traditionally thinking supply. The part of the laymen becomes clearer. Much more might it be today.

Church conditions became con-decisive for this development. The second Vatican council had given the annoyance to this. The church constitution activated a replaced church understanding. The biblical concept of God's people came into the view. In connection with this the meaning of the layman became increased in value. He was no longer only an object of the spiritual welfare, but himself subject of the pastoral. With this knowledge they started to run seriously the basic parishes. The laymen didn't want to be supplied by the church any longer, but they wanted to become themselves suppliers for the church. The church for the people should become a church of the people. Here meet the ideas of Populismo to new theological knowledges.

The second was the realization of life in the bible for the church by the council. The groups meet to bible conversations and recognize by this, that the bible has to tell something for the life. Many events of the bible, primarily of the old testament, could be understood immediately now. At this the liberation idea became a great meaning. A new pastoral, the pastoral of liberation was developed, starting with the education of liberation and the replaced understanding of the bible, and as its consequence the theology of liberation. The pastoral practice arose first, then the theoretical reflection. It wasn't only a teaching, but a reflected practice.

It is important for this practice, to include the social associated area. It belongs also to the basis, in which the people live. While the basis only talks about the laymen in the people of God and his working at the place of man, now a new sociological interpretation model is established. It is recognized, that there are sins in the structure, sin is established structurally. People are the fundament. They live in the structure of the oppression, misery and exploitation. The superstructure is the exploiting capitalist system is, which stabilyzes its rights by the power of armed forces.

Here begins the criticism of interested groups, in our nation as well. This would be a marxist interpretation sample and has to be refused therefore. Here the marxism would come into the pastoral. By the theology of liberation would be opened the way to the world revolution in South america. May be there were some liberation theologians, who have thought more marxist, but this justifies not at all the general marxism suspicion. A generally recognized sociological interpretation model doesn't make marxism yet, but many become angry, because noticing the exploitation. The contrast between work and capital is fact today, independent from Karl Marx, this becomes clear one more time in the phase of the globalization.

The first meeting of the basic parishes in Brazil was 1975. Participants were mostly office bearers. Even 1976 the half of the participants was sent by basic parishes. 1978 the meeting was run independent by the basic parishes. This shows the development as well.

The basic parishes were realized in Puebla 1979 by the Latin-American conference of bishops (Office of DBK, Voices of the world church 8, Bonn, 123), and by a speech of the pope at his South America trip, which wasn't done because of shortage of time. But the speech with his signature was given to the Brazilian conference of bishops. Anyway, the fear didn't come true, that the conditions will return behind the approaches of Medellìn 1968. There was another discussion about the document of the faith congregation, the right understanding of the theology of liberation was the topic (instruction of the congregation of dogmatics about some aspects of the theology of liberation. DBK 1984). A definite acceptance was done by a papal document, after forming the connection between evangelization and liberation in Evangelii Nuntiandi. The liberation includes the whole human and all his areas of life. The basic parishes are supporters of such an evangelization (EN 58). Basic parishes have to have also sociological and theological structures. Basic parish is only allowed to be called as church basic parish, if it is realized inside of the church, and if it supports the growth of the church (EN 58). So there was set a limit to those basic parishes, which were founded outside of the church.

Today the impression comes into being, that they run a more conservative line, which shall stop the influence of those fundamentalist sects, which come from the USA. But the basic parishes even have increased numerically. So there are in the diocese Coroatà in the northeast of Brazil (2001) about 800 basic parishes with 350.000 Roman Catholics and 19 parishes. They replace normally not available parish spiritual welfare and celebrate not priestly services.

The faces of the base municipalities are different absolutely and are formed seriuosly by the respective social situation. So there are differences between the base parishes in Nicaragua or Argentina, yes, even in the various countries themselves. The theological position is different, too. Sometimes they are known as laymen groups, which support the official spiritual welfare. However, this is too little. Another opinion looks for the realization of love between brothers and sisters only. Theologians see in them the sacramental figures of the church of the future. The fourth opinion sees the arising church in the process of the evangelization. They correspond mostly with the biblical house churches.

Important for one line of basic parishes is the exodus motive (Liberation of Israel out of the enslavement in Egypt), for the other the freeing and reconciling power of the Gospel, what shall be planted into the life and society..

Basic parishes are a new begin of the church and of the people in South America. They were accompanied theologically by the theology of liberation. The bishops look at them as the pastoral of liberation. The overcoming of the structures of the sin was important again and again.

An important step at the way to liberation was reading the bible. This served the forming the consciousness, a very important object for the pastoral of liberation. Ernesto Cardenal has recorded those bible conversations and published in "The Gospel of the farmers of Solentiname". Verse of magnificat, the song of praise of Mary is handled, Luke 1,46-55.

The involved fellows recognize for themselves, that God has an option for the poor ones. The problem is the realization, because using violence isn't allowed. Violence is used often enough by the side of the powerful, when the poor ones get in touch with e.g. the question of the country allocation. Giant possession, very often unused, stands against the hunger and the exploitation of those, who don't own any country. They demand a landreform, they join together to common interest groups, to put through their right of landholding, which was confirmed by the church often enough.

Pastoralkonstitution Gaudium et spes

It's not important only to help the poor and hungry ones by immediate food donations. The poor ones have to break out of their situation of oppression, by developing a strategy, which is able to change the social conditions: the strategy of the liberation. In the liberation the suppressed ones discover their situation as an process of forming the consciousness. They recognize the causes of their oppression, they join together in movements and act coordinated. First of all they demand everything the present system is able to give: higher pay, working conditions, health care, education, apartments and so on. Later they work to a changing of the existing society in the direction of a new society, which is marked by a general participation, a better and fairer balance among the society classes, and more humane conditions of life.(By Leonardo Boff and Clodovis Boff.)

The church shows commitment to their action "Country pastoral for campesinos and those, who don't own any country". The church supports them for getting their rights, helps to found country unions and supports cooperatives. But the church, with all successes, had to state, that there is also a contrary trend.

"The church and the problems about land and ground". So the title of a memorandum of the Brazilian conference of bishops, February 14^th, 1980:

But there are also successes. The agricultural workers in the Brazilian federal state Maranhão organize themselves. "We want to get out of the hole with our own feet." The bishop Reinhard Pünder of Coroatà said 2001, that the number of the small landowners has increased within the last years. This is surely also a success of the country pastoral.

National economically the situation has aggravated itself for the poor ones. 1964 the Brazilian economy is number 46 in the world; 1994 the number 8 yet. The last 20 years have brought really a technological and industrial progress, but also a considerable worsening of the social conditions for the poor ones, with exploitation, poverty and hunger, as it wasn't known in the brazilian history before. This is the price, the poor ones have to pay for the development of the rich ones. They become even richer, the poor ones have to pay for it and become even poorer by this, so pope Johannes Paul II.

This has also contributed certainly, that theological approaches of liberation in the basic parishes have played a declining part. The people didn't notice any success, quite the reverse. So the fundamental question is discussed about the theology of liberation.

Now some accents of the theology of liberation can be reported here, which became very important for the reflection of the church work.

In the run-up of the theology of liberation is Paolo Freire (1921-1997). He gives a great impression as personality and by his educational methods to the cultural life Latin Americas. Freire describes his picture of the church as follows:

(Paolo Freire, The teacher is politician and artist, new texts about freeing work in the field of education (collection of different essays), Hamburg 1981, Seite 94)

In his education of the liberation he ties on experiences of the Brazilian youth movement and other elements, by the method Notice-Judge-Act he had great successes with a programme against illiteracy. 1961 Freire run his learnmethod for the first time in a little village in the northeast of Brazil. He teached reading and writing to nearly 300 farmers in only a few weeks. He became minister of education, but after the takeover by the military dictatorship he had to flee.

The approach of an expansion of the consciousness and his opinion about the church, starting by the prophetic, became a great meaning. When you read voices in "theology of liberation", which tell about a "new forming of the church in the center of the people", or about a "prophetic church of the future", then are these the results of the apporoach of Freire. Here you can see his influence.

The other one is the object of an expansion of the consciousness. This means to work out the view about their situation. The (education-) process of an expansion of the consciousness begins to know the own life world by the language, it becomes clear and will be communicable consciously. This is the first word, the practice as reality we live in, it has to be the first one. The second word is the question about the causes of the situation, the theory. After this freeing actions can be done. This became a significant concept, not only of the education of liberation. Freire had also contacts to another mentor of the education.of liberation, Ivan Illich

Development is the first concept to interpretate the economic situation of the poor countries. These peoples are underdeveloped. Only little elan is needed, so as after World War II in Europe, and it will go up again. However, it is noticed soon, primarily in Latin America, that the industrial development there developed more negative trends. < http://members.aol.com/befreiungstheo/liberacion1.html. >

The dependencetheory was founded. The economic development of Latin America is, in this view, subordinated totally to the interests of the industrial nations and the large economy groups. These companies control the future of the underdeveloped nations by the ressource market and their technical leading.

The object "Liberation" (liberaciòn) turned up in these economic connections the first time at the end of the sixties. A first concept of a theology of liberation was presented by Gustavo Gutierrez (*1928 in Lima, Peru) at a pastoral convention in Petropolis (Brazil) 1964 organized by Ivan Illich. The critical reflection of the practice was discussed. He presented a first framework of his theology of liberation 1968 in Chimbot. 1971 he published his book "Teologia de liberaciòn" (Theology of the liberation, Lima 1971). He placed a liberation concept against the theory of development, which said, the underdevelopment has to be worked out. In the first conceptions the socialism plays a great part. This caused the communism reproach for him. However, he represented a democratic socialism.

" Alone the socialism will be able to take the real development to Latin America (unlike every Desarrollismo (=Development)) ... It's my opinion, that a socialist system corresponds better the christian principles of justice, peace and true fraternity ... Which kind of the socialism this will be, I don't know. But this is the line Latin America has to run. I, for my person, think, that it has to be a democratic socialism" (Gutierrez, G., Teologia de la liberaciòn, Salamanca 1972). Later he refused clearly revolution and violence, also caused by the experience with the con-brothers, who became revolutionaries.

However, Gutierrez was always in the center of the church. He never lost the contact to the spiritual welfare and to the bishops, eight bishops invited him as adviser to Puebla. He prevented decisively in Puebla, that it didn't come to an eclat between the meetingmanagment and the theologians, who were "outside the doors". Leaving the idea of revolution and violence and taking the theology of liberation can be traced essentially to his influence.

Acting for all others a further main representative of the theology of liberation shall be presented, the Franciscan Leonardo Boff, (* 1938 in Concordia, Brazil, his brother is the liberation theologian Clodevis Boff). He studied among others by Karl Rahner, Leo Scheffczyk and Heinrich Fries in München. He did many important tasks in the Brazilian church and was professor in Petropolis. He run a number of conflicts with the faith congregation in Rom and quitted the church service. Today he is professor for ethic in Rio de Janeiro.

What is the background of the theology of liberation. He described it himself in many treatises. The starting point are the poverty scandals in Latin America and in the third world. In carefully done estimates, there are 500 000 000 people in these nations, who don't have enough to eat. The life expectancy is much lower than in rich nations. There is no medical supply for one billion, the unemployment in many nations and the number of illiterates is very high in many nations.

Who doesn't get into a just rage about such a human and social hell? Theology of liberation starts with a powerful protest against such situations, it suffers also and tries to change things. In the social area by fighting the collective oppression, in individual area by fighting for the justice for all single persons, in the religious area by the remark to the human dignity, which is given to each single person by the creator.

The theology of liberation has a prophetic vision of a fair and humane world. It suffers with those, who are concerned. It bases on approaches of the Old and the New Testament. The poor ones in the Old Testament may be sure about the special love of God. This is primarily the message of the prophets. Jesus picks it up. He becomes poor for us. He comes to bring the Gospel to the poor ones. The Kingdom of God has arrived by him, it has started, the Kingdom where justice is no more the same as poverty. God has an option for the poor ones. Whoever helps the poor helps God. He has carried the cross for all, he brings resurrection for the people and particularly for all in the world, who are crucified.

Charitable helps are necessary, even more necessary is breaking up the structures of oppression, which cause all this. Reforms of the economy have brought an amazing economic progress in Brazil, as the last 20 years show (1964-1994), but the poverty of the poor ones hasn't become lower, but even greater. It has to be continued in working at the liberation of these people, primarily with them and by them. Many oppression models still cause in the colonial times and couldn't be overcome till yet, so e.g. the considerable large properties, unlike those, who don't own any land. And the powerful always are right, even if they became rich by corruption and they transfer the profit to foreign banks for speculation. A regime of "national safety" was developed, that means safety for the rich ones and their capital and against initiatives of the theology of liberation.

There is only one answer of the christians allowed about all this injustice. It is pretended for ourselves, as followers of Jesus. We have to develope a Gospel of liberation. This has to fight the causes of this poverty and to fight with the poor ones for justice. Liberation from the misery is the topic. This runs commonly with the labor unions, with those who don't own any land, with the Indians ... Commitment for their rights.

The court at the end of the times will ask us, how we did handle the need of the neighbour and how we did help them and finally Jesus by this (Mt. 25.31-46). Here is established the option for the poor ones in the end. Christian base municipalities, bible groups, groups of the evangelization, movements for the support of human right, agencies of the country pastoral joined in this movement of liberation.

They all contribute to the statement, that religion is no more "opium of the people", but an apeal to the solidarity of the people, who are seen as a new Adam, namely as Jesus. This is their human dignity.

The poor ones themselves recognize their situation very well and knock at the doors of the rich ones.They demand life, bread, liberty and dignity. They were supported by many, which take the commitment for justice as their task. Many of them became martyrs, so the bishop Oscar Romero.

Theology of liberation is not only a theoretical handling of books and seminars with this topic, but the concrete commitment for the poor ones. The analysis of the social conditions, the experience of the freeing God and reading the bible on the background of these knowledge show us the way.

Boff also did certainly wanderings by his statements about the communism, which seemed sometimes to be a little uncritical. The experience with the impolite capitalism in their country was so shattering for him and the other liberation theologians, that they sometimes missed the mistakes of this communist system clearly. After the collapse of this system the situation didn't get better worldwide, but the globalization process shows now, not only in these nations, but also here in Germany – te consequences of the neon liberalist capitalism.

A fair world for everybody is the priority. Primarily the conversation about the theology of liberation, about support for surviving concretely, has to be done in view of the dramatic situation in many nations.

You have to see these causal connections between riches and poverty. It is a wealth, which is done by at the expense of the impoverishment of the other side. This is no sociological question for us, it is an ethical question about the social justice. And seen theologically, it is a social structural sin, which has also to do something with God." (KAB Impuls January/February 2002)

The global responsibility and the constructiona of a human global world are the great topics of today and tomorrow.

The motive power of this direction became weaker and weaker at the end of the years. This had various causes. First the conservative bishop appointments. The permanent teaching complaint method, but also the collapse of the communism in this time. The positive economic development, the done profit passed by the poor ones, this was another fact. The turn away from military dictatorship to democracy had waken up new hopes, but the most were not realized. The base municipalities resigned, because of no success in the liberation process. Some talked about the end of this movement yet.

But what remained, is important:

the option for the poor ones,

support at the side of the poor ones

the base municipalities

the country pastoral

various commitment of the church for the poor ones.

From this also various elements – e.g. the option for the poor ones - passed over into the social teaching of the church. This is a great merit of this development for the whole church.

Today new questions are developed by the pressure of the globalization. In the moment the theology in Latin America runs them. What will the world look like in future? But it is discussed about this not only there, but also in Europe. The social ethical approaches are growing together as well.

There were and are in this movement also transfers to Europe. So also in Germany by the idea of the social pastoral. This shall be handled now.

The idea of social pastoral was even the fundament of the pastoral concept in Medellìn. It was picked up again also in Puebla and has its distribution today in south America and far beyond this. Some, what is charitable work of today, is called social pastoral, or the social charitable and the spiritual welfare pastoral. By this the principle approach of the pastoral is important, seen by the social conditions. This is done from the view of the option for the poor ones and looking for social justice, what is promissed in the Kingdom of God. Both approaches, the social and pastoral, will be connected with each other. The biblical and the official teaching fundaments are essentially the same as those of the liberation movement.

However, the German pastoral theologian Hermann Steinkamp tried hardly to realize this approach in Germany by various publishings. There are groups and institutions, which work with these ideas, so also in the diocese Limburg. Primarily this aproach shall be handled. In the social pastoral is a connection of pastoral theological and social ethical approaches in a common concept.

Hillerich, Frank Hg. u.a. Soziale Befreiung der Pastoral, Ein Werkstattbuch der Initiative Sozialpastoral im Bistum Limburg, Limburg 1999

Steinkamp, Hermann, Sozialpastoral, Freiburg 1991

Mette Norbert, Steinkamp Herrmann, die Grundprinzipien der Sozialpastoral. Am Beispiel des 'Plano de Pastoral de Conjunto' der Diözese Creatéus (Brasilien) in: Pastoraltheologische Informationen 14 1994 Seite 79-92

Steinkamp, Herrmann, Solidarität und Parteilichkeit, Für eine neue Praxis in Kirche und Gemeinde, Mainz 1994

In the reader of the lecture at the PTHV-Vallendar about managing a municipality in the winter semester 2001/2002 is a chapter for social pastoral chapter 4 (pdf)
< http://www.leuninger.de/vorlesung/index.htm >

Ludger Weckel describes a conference about evangelization in the 3^rd millennium 1998 in Hofheim, there are also examples of a sozial pastoral.
< http://www.econ-theo.org/forums/movements11/0001.html >

Social pastorally exists as concept and subject since Medellìn (1968). It was developed in different lines. Herrmann Steinkamp has described it by the example of the pastoral plan of the diocese Creatéus. He transfers this experience into the other social situation of Germany. This plan was realized for the whole diocese 1992 for the years 1993-1995. Steinkamp was in the last phase of the advices in Creatéus. The diocese lies in a poor area in the northeast of Brazil, there are disastrous droughts again and again. The plan shall prepare an upcoming bishop change. The way of the diocese since the foundation 1964 "Church of the people and the liberation" should be continued also after the bishop change, if possible. Therefore the plan takes seriously the meaning of God's people and its participation at the pastoral actions like before. The plan comes from the approach of Medellìn:

The plan comes from the reality, analyzes and reflects it. They try to find the causes of the situation. It is described for the area of the diocese as follows:

The following focal points of attention are noticed. The relationship of the base municipalities to other areas of the pastoral have to be cleared. The social pastoral has to consider also the middle level in the towns. Attention and support have to be given to the groups of the blacks and the Indigenas (Native – Indian), and to the actions for the rights of women. It's the same with those groups, who act for people's medicine and education.

Aim shall be, that the countenance of a freeing church is visible at the side of the people, like sour dough for a new society.

For this the support of native executives is necessary, who take on the work themselves. Only by this way the church will grow believable. The agricultural workers in their fight for the liberation shall be supported particularly.

The representatives of the pastoral have to be the little ones, God's people itself. Therefore it shall not be acted only for the people, but with the people. From this results the following pastoral approach:

Here a pastoral is shown, which doesn't think primary church internally, but wants to be sour dough in the society. Primarily by its social actions the church is a sign of the dawned Kingdom of God. The church is the whole people of God. This has consequences at all levels, in the municipalities as well as in the diocese.

To the section 2.3.2 look < http://www.leuninger.de/vorlesung/index.htm > In the reader of the lecture at the PTHV-Vallendar about managing a municipality in the winter semester 2001/2002 is a chapter for social pastoral chapter 4 (pdf)
There this topic is discussed detailed as well.

2.3.2.1 Change of the subject. Instead the "Secularization of the society - its evangelization

The present pastoral was formed primarily by the phenomenon of the secularization. The process of the reduced condition of the church was analyzed and reflected for possibilities, to fight this by suitable pastoral measures. The present passing of the christian faith from generation to generation doesn't work any more, just the younger generation doesn't want this, so the religious education of the children is cancelled more and more. The service visit has changed dramatically. How pastoral actions have to be formed, that the church will survive?

Now evangelization has to be done. Not the further existence of the church is priority, but the credible announcement of the Kingdom of God is important. This is the first and most important task of the church. The church continues here the task of Jesus, who had said about himself, that he has come to bring the Gospel to the poor ones

The Kingdom of God has arrived by Jesus. There are close connections between evangelization and human support and liberation. You cannot seperate the plan of creation from the plan of release. You cannot accounce the commandment of love, without demanding justice and peace, so it's described in the papal circular Evangelii nuntiandi. The proclamation of the Gospel of the arriven Kingdom of God includes the social conditions.

The option of the social pastoral are the option for the poor ones and the option "church for other ones". The first option has to be given priority to.

The option for the poor ones has biblical origin. Finally we meet Jesus himself in a needy person. They have priority in our love to the next ones. The sentence "the option for the poor ones" is deduced from the council. In the following section (2.3.4.3) the places in council, synod and social word are worked out . Also has to be referred to Puebla and Medellìn (2.2.2). Basicly the poor ones have to have priority in the church work. First, the church has to have the knowledge, to notice the poverty and not to displace it. Second, the necessary decision have to base on the faith. Third, the solidary actions have to be demanded on the fundament of faith. The option for the poor ones makes biassed (to move decidedly to their side).

From this option results the next one, which is actually identical with the first. It is an option of the church for the other ones. Church has to be a diacon church in its nature. How the French bishop Gaillot said: "Church, which doesn't serve, serves for nothing". The church is the acting, the subject of the option for the poor ones.

This option of the church for the poor ones is the continuation and essential expansion of what the association for welfare work, Caritas, wanted, but with a clarification of its social and political dimension. A so understood welfare and social work (service to the neighbour) of the church is not a segment of church actions only, but its fundament. By this social pastoral becomes a fundamental theory of church actions, which is preceded to everything else. To realize this the including learning goal of solidarity is needed for the church and the Christians. The deacon municipality becomes the model of social pastorally practice

The social pastoral runs the classic steps "Notice-Judge-Act.

In Notice the social conditions are analyzed, the people have to live in. The problem has to be seen in the society. Where is e.g. poverty in our nation? Here are noticed unemployed, old people, foreigners, single parents, children in the various constellation, quantitative and qualitative. What are the causes of this situation, primarily also structural? What about the consequences of this situation? What about the people? These are questions, which have to be worked out. How does the church handle this situation, and how do the Christians?

In Judge is asked, how that should be handled by taking the option for the poor ones. The criterion of the affected persons comes into the game. Judging will be various like the situation is. Affected means first, that you are member of a group, which is pressed to the edge or is under special loadings. This doesn't immediately mean yet, that there is a high sorrow pressure, because you are affected by a special situation. This also can be a con-suffering with such situations. You are included in other sorrows. The prototype of the person affected for compassion is the merciful Samaritan. Whoever is affected, is stirred by own trouble or the trouble of other ones.

He sees this different and judges it different. He is involved with his emotions. In such situations of consternation you can learn something about the structural sin, which is often available in our society. The social justice is asked and the promissed salvation of the Kingdom of God for all people.

This leads to solidarizations and combinings, to fight this trouble situation and to get a change. From this arises Act, according the Kingdom of God, as the changing power of God, which takes us in the movement of changing. Turning back is asked from everyone and the society. It has to be thought over exactly, how it can be acted accurately. Self-help and solidarity groups form themselves. This is later also the place of solidary municipality formation, not by recruitment of members, but by the consternation. Here grows also a new spirituality, how it formulated the complete church bishop synod 1987:

By example of a churchasylum C. Keienburg has represented such a social pastoral "Turning back process" of a (prot.) parish. "New people" come into the parish, motivated by the decision for the deportation of some people, so Keienburg:

A higher number of municipalities has regarded these challenges and suddenly run total new processes in the municipality. The members of the committees started to see their task with new eyes and had to take up new challenges. They feeled, that this isn't so easy, but found their inner decision to speak up for the other ones. Suddenly solidarity moved into the middle of the municipality

The parish St. Johannes in Frankfurt, Unterliederbach, 1992 has decided in the parish district council "to do something in the social area". The social pastoral started by this way in the parish, which is formed also by two focal points of attention. The high number of families seeking help, primarily the single parents and the many inquiries in the parish office motivated to this work. Two closed meetings of the parish district council accompanied by experts of the association for welfare work, Caritas, did the basicwork. Surveys, more than 25 meetings of a project team with the priest, the president of the parish district council, the representatives of the association for welfare work, Caritas, and the nursery school leader and others listed the following aim prospect:

"We want to offer

1. Advice and "clearing work is important"

2. An refuge for people in trouble shall be made.

3. A place has to be arranged, where people are able to talks things out.

4. Services and passing on in various life situations.

A qualified person free of charge was engaged for two hours in the week. The cooperation with the association for welfare work, Caritas, and its institutions in the district was natural. This place should be open for all people. Opening time was Monday 16.00 – 18.00.

On May 2^nd, 1996 the office for first advice was set up in Euckenstraße. A large group of person free of charge was founded. They were eductaed for this job and are accompanied. All of them come from the municipality socialized group of the church, most have no other church task Within the first two years 250 persons could be advised. The office wants to be a refuge for all people in trouble and need in this district. With this place for first contacts the parish St. Johannes, Frankfurt/Main-Unterliederbach wants to be a contact adress for you if you serach any information or advice. The brochure lists:

take ourselves time for you and your questions

want to help you further

take you to professional services and institutions if necessary

are open for all persons affected, nationality, age or denomination are not dependent "

Supporter of this is the parish. To the support an own registered association for welfare work, Caritas, was founded, which has 40 members (1999). The work is supported and accompanied technically by the association for welfare work, Caritas, in the village.

The municipality runs the line of social pastoral, therefore there are the following prospects:

"Catholic parish with real life oriented social pastoral
three areas of life, which connect the parish:

(Parish priest Werner Meuer and team, A Roman Catholic parish goes own ways: From incense to people in trouble, in: Frank Hillerich u.a. Social liberation of the pastoral; Limburg 1999, S 105-111)

This example was represented on the site in internet.

The text for this letter was reworked. The forum social pastoral exists since 1992. There are the following fundamental ideas:

"Social pastoral is the effort, to realize the option for the poor ones in all areas of pastoral actions.

Social pastoral is not only instruction/suggestion for charitable actions of single Christiana, of christian communities and municipalities. The heart is lived practice of solidarity with the poor ones by the faith, and lived love in the municipalities and church institutions of the diocese. Solidary and deaconly love is an effective proclamation of the Gospel and effective for the global salvation of mankind.

Social pastorally orientates itself at the second Vatican council, which has described in the dogmatic constitution about the church (L.G. Nr. 8) the option for the poor ones as model for the pastoral actions of the church:

As Christ accomplished his work of release in poverty and pursuit, so the church is called, to take the same way, to informe human about the salvation. Jesus Christ " though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. (Phil 2, 6); For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake he became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich. (2 Kor 8, 9). So the church wasn't founded, to look for earthly splendor, even if it requires for the fulfillment of its task human means, but to extend humility and self-denial by its example. Christ was sent by the father, "...he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free (Lk 4, 18), For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost."(Lk 19, 10). In similar way the church surrounds all of them with its love, who are attacked by human weakness, yes the church recognizes the poor ones and sufferers in the image of their founder, who was himself a poor one and a sufferer. It tries to make their trouble easier and is looking for service for God.

In the pastoral constitution of the second Vatican council: "The church in the world of today" is said:

The common synod of the dioceses in the Federal Republic takes up this theological model (Our hope III,2) so as Johannes Paul II. as well, in the social encyclical Sollicitudo rei socialis (SSR 42):

This basic statement becomes confirmed in the social word the Roman Catholic and Protestant church in Germany about the situauion in Germany:

"The prime importance of the option for the poor ones, as the leitmotif of social actions, concretes itself as the unity of God's love and charity. In the perspective of christian ethic all actions and decisions in society, politics and economy have to be judged, if it is useful for the poor ones and enables them for autonomous actions(Nr. 107)."

This is valid for all pastoral actions of the church and the church institutions.

Social pastoral wants the turning of the thinking in the parishes and its actions to the real and various living world, and to the milieu of the people on the spot: "It is a preliminary decision about the point of view, from which we start our activities: We go to the side of those people, the church is founded for. We recognize seriously their problems as the real need, which shall be changed by the power of the Gospel(...).

This preliminary decision is also a spiritual one, a faith decision, if you recognize the trouble of the people as the situation, where possible trouble of human is known as problems of today, the repetition of all these sorrows, Jesus talked about by the proclamation of the Kingdom of God. The Gospel wants the total and concrete legal profession of God for the maltreated and those, who are at disadvantage" (Willi Hübinger)

The connection of spiritual look and political, social order is an important element of the social pastoral. This connection owes the concept to the social pastoral of its origin history the "Theology of liberation". Bishop Dr. Franz Kamphaus has described this inner connection as a way from the individual salvation to a pastoral with a social responsibility:

The christianization of America, done by conquerers, stood under the sign "Save your soul". The church didn't see its first task in saving the threatened lives of the natives, but primarily in saving their souls, before they were killed. (...) The conversion of the Latin-American church prefers the option for the poor ones, it says, that the turning to God cannot be seperated from the turning to the poor ones. This spiritual knowledge is connected with the political order, to defend the life of the poor ones. This, also for many believers in our country, encouraging conversion is neither in the spiritual renewal nor in one-sided political courage. The central point is between them, that both will stimulate each other in the practice of the succession of Jesus. A convincing result of this connection of spirituality and politics, of prayer and welfare and social work was found in the social pastoral. Anyway, the christian solidarity for the poor ones has to support the elimination of unfair structures. So the church is no more able to keep out of political discussions. As advocate of the poor ones the church gets into conflicts with the opponents of the poor ones. (Franz Kamphaus, )"

There is a working group social pastoral in the diocese Limburg

The initiative social pastoral has to be added

The fora social pastoral, which run since 1998 every year:

"Participants of the fora social pastoral are members of the synod committees, honorary of the municipalities, parish priests and pastoral employees, members and employees of the association for welfare work, Caritas, of the diocese and districts, and employees of the departments pastoral services, youth, church and society and from the synod offices.

In May 2000 organized the initiative a specialist meeting: 'Pastoral in the diocese Limburg orientated at the poor ones and at the society'.

The listed fora about social pastoral were organized

1993 Notice - Judge - Act with Prof. DDr. H. Steinkamp

1994 Practice reports from the diocese Limburg and statements with Prof. Dr. H. Steinkamp

1995 To look for the center at the edge - Chances and limits of a deakon pastoral in territorial municipalities Pfr. Urs Eigenmann

1996 Welfare state Federal Republic: Reform instead reducing - Actionpossibilities in spiritual welfare and social work with Wolfgang Kessler

1997 For a future in solidarity and justice, social pastoral in the new pastoral areas, how will this run? With Prof. Dr. E. Leuninger, G. Enders, T. Jeschke, H. Schmitt, Pfr. H.-J. Wüst,

1998 Widing the limits in the pastoral areas. Challenge for the association for welfare work, Caritas, and the pastoral with Prof. Dr. R. Krockauer

1999 Social liberation of the pastoral. Alternative potentials pastoral concepts
with Dr. von Freyberg, R. Thies, M. Krüger, R. Fleckenstein

2000 On the spot: Social pastoral in the practice - social work in the pastoral area applied to the community with Willi Hübinger, Hartmut Fritz

2000 Pastoral in the diocese Limburg, orientated to the poor ones and applied to the community with Hanno Heil, Willi Hübinger, Dr. Hejo Manderscheid, Dr. Udo Neumann

2001 The life situation of young people: Professional orientation - education - professional perspective "

Whatever the topics show, the social problems of social injustice and about pushing out of the way are made the task of the pastoral. This task will be in the center of the church actions.

The newer socialpastoral, developed by Herrmann Steinkamp, is grown out of the experiences in South America. Even there the approach of Medellìn 1968 was called "Socialpastoral". In some theses of Steinkamp the controversy to the conventional pastoral may seem exaggerated a little. But examples show, that this approach is possible fundamently in parishes as well. Today a work is favoured, which bases in the trouble of those, who are pressed, and the option for the poor ones. This changes the perspective of the work. Here can be formed networks of groups working social pastorally in the parishes, including associatins. By this they get a new face, as groups who are on the line of Jesus and on those, who are pressed, and show commitment to them, because they think, that they serve the proclamation of the Kingdom of God - also if it is hidden among us.

Before theology comes into the view, human comes into the view by the new political theology. The tale of woe of human becomes an approach of theological questions. For Metz this is primarily the immense bad actions in Auschwitz. After this comes the theological reflection. The memory of the death of Jesus. He was also there. But he also gives the signal for new life as a hope perspective of resurrection. The father hasn't let Jesus sink into death, but he has called for new life. This is also the persprective of hope for mankind by the tale of woe. It is important to live this hope by our lifesupporting actions.

The theology of liberation has also its starting-point by pressed people. It takes up the idea, that the church has to support the poor ones by a special way, like the statement of the last council said. They have the right, and they have to get supported, to free themselves out of this poverty. The exodus motive of the old testament becomes an example of the freeing actions of God. Therefore they join together to solidary groups, the base municipalities.

Socialpastoral takes up again the concept social pastoral by the idea of Medellin The critical social situation becomes the starting point of actions of solidary christians in their action groups inside and outside of the municipalities. So another option is formed: Church for the other ones. Worked is by the method "Notice - Judge - Act". Motivating objectively is the Kingdom of God, which has arrived by Jesus. It is a Gospel for the poor ones, by this meaning the society has to be evangelized. Church pastoral starts out by the pressed ones, is socialpastoral.

1. From which approaches do the theories start in chapter 2 in opposite to 1.?

2. Who did develope them and what students did he have particularly?

3. What starting question had Metz and what can arise from this experience?

4. What do you think, where are the suffer experiences of the people, name one of them, and please tell how a sign of hope can be given here?

1. Name one of the important bishops of the theology of liberation and his first experiences with those who ruled?

2. Which option has a special meaning for the theology of liberation?

3. Which two Latin-American church events have special meanings for the development of the church there?

4. What do you think, why should feminist theology also be a theology of liberation?

1. Where are the first new statements about social pastoral (after the council)?

2. What shall be the aim of the pastoral in the diocese Creatéus (Brazil)?

3. What options has the social pastoral?

4. What approaches of socialpastoral do you see here in our country? Name one of them!

What do you understand about globalization and what are the resulting problems?

The globalization pushes itself more and more to the foreground as a social problem. Boff names this clearly in the interviews, at the begin of 2002 (e.g. in January/February in the KAB magazine "Impuls"). But also other social scientist, so Friedhelm Hengsbach, ask for a "Christian society ethic in the times of globalization" (F. Hengsbach, The others in the view, Darmstadt 2001). The process of the globalization is welcomed by one side, condemned by the other. It's sure, that it is steered by money transactions primarily. What does it mean, seen rationally, and how can we handle it?

Both, in the Protestant social ethic and in the Roman Catholic social teaching, the topic about "Kingdom of God" becomes an even greater meaning, looking for the social problems of this world. Peace and social justice are the two central topics of the biblical teaching about the Kingdom of God. Could this teaching become something like a leitmotif for the world society, which has to formed actually? Here it gets clear, that the Protestant and Roman Catholic approaches come closer more and more and reconcile. This can be noticed also in common important statements of the churches in Germany. It shall be pointed to the "social and economizing word" of the two churches 1997 only. This has to be strengthened at the European level, e.g. as at the council process "Justice, peace, and keeping the creation" (1983 the general meeting of the ecumenical council appealed the churches to do that in Vancouver). The Vatican and the ecumenical council of the church in Genf have to become closer by social statements worldwidly, also this happened in the process already mentioned. In the end it is about a world society, where the world religions have to do approaches commonly , but this is still a long way. The 2^nd peace prayer in Assisi on January 17th, 2002 was a first begin.

The ideal resolving can't be found, nevertheless you may not give up, to find a better one.

Beck, Ulrich, Hrsg., Politik der Globalisierung, Frankfurt Main 1998

Beck, Ulrich, Perspektiven der Weltgesellschaft, Frankfurt Main 1998

Boff, Leonardo, Ethik für ein neue Welt, Düsseldorf 2000

Eigemann, Urs, Das Reich Gottes und seine Gerechtigkeit für die Erde, Die andere Vision vom Leben, Zürich 1998

Hengsbach, Friedhelm, Die andern im Blick, Christliche Gesellschaftsethik in den Zeiten der Globalisierung, Darmstadt 2001

Kaiser, Reinhard, Hrsg. der deutschen Ausgabe (Frankfurt), Global 2000, Bericht an den Präsidenten. 49. Auflage 1984

Klingenbiel, Ruth u.a. Hrsg., Globalisierung aus Frauensicht, Bilanzen und Visionen, Bonn 1998

Küng, Hans, Weltethos für Weltpolitik und Weltwirtschaft, München 1998

Münch, Richard, Globale Dynamik, lokale Lebenswelten. Der schwierige Weg in die Weltgesellschaft, Frankfurt am Main 1998

Phatmater, Josef, Furger, Franz, Hrsg. Katholische Soziallehre in neuen Zusammenhängen, Köln 1985

Tetzlaff, Rainer, Weltkulturen unter Globalisierungsdruck, Bonn 2000

Wissenschaftliche Arbeitsgruppe für weltkirchliche Aufgaben der Deutschen Bischofskonferenz Hrsg, Die vielen Gesichter der Globalisierung - Perspektiven einer menschengerechten Weltordnung

Vogt, Markus, Globale Nachbarschaft, Christliche Sozialethik vor neuen Herausforderungen, München 2000

Ziegler, Karl-Heinz, Brieskorn, Norbert, Senghaas, Dieter, Waldenfels, Hans, Weltordnungspolitik für das 21. Jahrhundert, Historische Würdigung - Ethische Kriterien - Handlungsoptionen, München 2000

Scientific working group for world church tasks of German conference of bishops Hrsg, The many faces of globalization - Perspective of a more human world order
< http://www.dbk.de > there by "Veröffentlichungen der Kommissionen"

Bundestag, Enquete-Kommission, Zwischenbericht 2001, Globalisierung der Weltwirtschaft, Challenges and answers (pdf-Datei)
< http:// >

Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung, Globalization and development
< http://www.bmz.de/medien/spezial/spezial103/a1.html >

Gebhard Schweigler, Globalization, a result of the world information society
< http://www.bpb.de/info-franzis/info_263/body_i_263_3.html >

Michael Kox Democracy and globalization
< http://www.mikox.de/mitbestimmung/ >

All talk about globalization (including the whole globe - worldwide). Enormous expectations are expected on the one hand. Mankind gets the chance here to do a jump forward into a better future with greater liberties and much more possibilities for all. On the other hand there are the critics, who point to the consequences. Growing poverty spreads worldwide. 1.5 billions people live below the absolute poverty line (they don't have enough to run their life). Primarily in the developing countries this topic becomes the concept of the dependence (economic dependence of the industrial nations), the negative concept for economic mistakes at all. Also many countries of the former Eastern bloc can be included here. Whoever has any influence to this precess, as a rule, speaks enthusiastically about this, whoever doesn't have any influence, speaks more negative. Playing a part democratically in this process has to be discussed. The regionalism into trade zones has to be judged also, like EU (European union), ASEAN (Association of southeast Asian nations), NAFTA (Free trade agreement between USA, Canada and Mexico), MERCOSUR (Common market of Latin America), and the new founded OAU (African union) and others. You shall look exactly in the first part of this chapter what is going on here, where it comes from, and what will be the consequences.

Let's have a look to an English stockbroker. In earlier times he went to the stock exchange at 10.00 hours, at 13.00 hours to a extensive lunch, at 15.00 hours he looked one more time to the news of the Wallstreet and then drove for golfs. This is past. The stock market transaction demands actions around the watch. This begins already at 6.00 hours for the broker in the train, he reads the numbers in the newspaper there, at noon there is a lunch with mineral water and sandwich and he goes home in the evening at 9.00 hours. Capital flows around the globe for 24 hours, 1300 billions $ would be estimated urgently, to run the businessesum. Capital became global. You can save yourself from taxes in so-called taxes paradises still quite well. In the eighties pressure had started out of the USA to decontrol the circulation of capital. Europe followed hesitantly, but has decided for liberty of the circulation of capital at the Luxembourg intergovernmental conference. A push arose from this altogether for the speculative component of the stock exchange and for derived listed derivates. The trade has exploded with financial world derivatives, which derive their value from an underlying security. The worldwide trade with listed derivates (Risk insurances on values for sellers against price collapse and buyers against price increase, e.g. on a coming coffee harvest) had a volume 1986 of about 600 billions $, this value had risen to 1995 on over 9.000 billions $. 1980 cross-border loans and share transactions were approximately 10% of the gross national product of the most important industrial nations, up till 1995 these money transactions increased in Japan to 65 %, in Italy even to 250 %. Increases in value and collapses of prices become more and more global, at the end of 2001 a serious collapse of values began nearly at all stock exchanges. A former Federal Bank president once, formulated this approximately so: "If a journalist sees, that I have caught a cold, the values fall in Tokyo." The globalization of the money transactions is only done by conventional industrial nations and efficient fast-developing nations (which are on the way to industry nations) and developing countries.

One of the most essential causes for the globalization is the increase of the world trade. To this have contributed very various factors. Primarily the liberation of the markets. Regionalism plays another important part here, in the nations of EU e.g. 73% of foreign trade is done in the area of EU.

The trade in the regions is 70% of the world trade. After World War II the world trade with goods and services grew faster than the world production. A global market develops. A third of the world volume of trade isn't done by companies, but inside of transnational companies. So the meaning of transnational companies becomes clear.

The world trade doubled almostly 1976 - 1985. Between 1965 and 1985 it even increased tentimes. In the fast-developing nations the trade grew between 1976 and 1982 excessively. The world trade rose by the economic upturn of the industrial nations. A depression then came end of the eighties, after the middle of the nineties the growth started up again. The decontrol of the world trade also contributed to this.

The worldwide import and export have increased from approx. 2000 billions $ on approx. 5000 billions $ in the year 1995.

Guarantor of the decontroled world trade shall be the WTO. Worldwide acting government organizations still have to be the world bank, the IWF and the OECD. The international monetary fund (IWF) was founded officially in Dezember 1945 signing an agreement by 29 nations. The contract was worked out on the meeting in Bretton Woods, 1944. IWF started its work on March 1^st, 1947.

The IMF is an international organization of 183 member countries, established to promote international monetary cooperation, exchange stability, and orderly exchange arrangements; to faster economic growth and high levels of employment; and to provide temporary financial assistance to countries to help ease balance of payments adjustment. (self-portrayal in the internet):
< http://www.imf.org/external/deu/ >)."

The World Bank (international bank for reconstruction and development) is an organization of the united nations, founded on the meeting of Bretton Woods. The primary objective of the bank is the support for the reconstruction and development of the member nations, by putting capital at their disposal with more favorable conditions than private banks. The bank grants its members (now 151 nations) loans for special projects. But it checks before, whether the borrower can fulfill the conditions of the credit.

Named has to be also the international acting OECD (Organization for economic cooperation and development since 1961). It consists out of 29 nations and was founded 1948 as OEEC, to realize the Marshallplan for the reconstruction. Their primary objectives are economic growth, support of workplaces and improvement of the standard of living in the member nations, but also in those nations, which aren't included.

The world economy peak G7 is an economic and political forum of the seven most important industrial nations Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Canada and USA. Since 1975 once a year there is a meeting for changing ideas and information in the economic areas. At this also possible measures shall be arranged. Since 1993 the Russian president is present as guest, since 1994 with equal rights in G8. This meeting is the experiment, to have controlling functions on the world economy process. The other nations are no members.

New production methods, computer supported production, transport acceleration and primarily information technology, have done an immense push to economic development. Capital-intensive production methods have taken off labor-intensive methods, if capital is available.

A car of the lower middle classes is produced in 25 man hours today. The technological progress can be presented at the best by the increasing productivity. The productivity per working hour increases in the Federal Republic of Germany from 1960 (100%) to 1995 (350%) more than three times. The costs for many products can be lowered considerably by that. New products became possible technically by scientific researches, this applies primarily to the area of the chemistry. The invention and market moderate putting through of the computer has brought a revolution, not only in the working world. He has accelerated the rationalization. While in the fordism (by Henry Ford and the invention of the conveyor belt) the most rational use of the labour was important, is it primarily important today to substitute the labour by the use of microprocessors. Without microprocessors no household would run any more in our nation. The expenses in the production primarily are in the development of new products becoming more and more expensive, having the still shorter running time and needing therefore larger markets.

The progress joins in the communication technology. The prices for telephone calls have sunk, radio and television send worldwide news, the internet opens up by its mail, till now unknown, technological information and communication possibilities, which don't stop at the borders. The connection installment increases rapidly. Till now, no communication technology has got acceptance so fast.

The increase of the goods traffic, alone in Western Germany 1990 nearly 3.6 billions tons of goods, 1.7 billions in 1960, will increase further. This also concerns the worldwide development of all traffic areas, particularly of the air traffic. The costs for the flights also have sunk rapidly there, while the costs for the ocean freight have remained at the same level.

The national economies are even stronger on the way to a world economy, by the forming of trade blocks and the collapse of the Eastern bloc. Globalization has become an objective for many companies. Markets and production advantages are the topics. They try to establish themselves worldwidely by own settlements, subsidiary firms und takeovers. Also large companies, represented already serious internationally, combine further, to get top positions. The international capitalcombination has got gigantic extents. In the year 1999 there were more than 52.000 companies abroad with direct or indirect particpation of German capital with more than 6.2 million employees, Trend increasing.

About 45% of the 600 worldwide largest multinational companies are resident in the United States; in Japan about 16 % and in Great Britain something about 10 %. Most multinational activities are done in industrial nations. 1992 were the world sales of these groups (38.000 with 250.000 subsidiary firms) with 7.7 trillions DM higher than the sum of the whole world trade.

1991 nationcomprehensive actions by fusions and takeovers made 85.3 billions $, 1997 already 341,7 billion $. General motors, Daimler-Chrysler and Ford have 1998 worth of business, which were higher than the gross national products of e.g. Poland, Finland and Greece (1998).

The neon liberalism is the economic theory rule for some years. It has this, what was always predefined structurally in our society, the high protection against the property and the lower protection against the social justice was strengthened one more time. Practically runs this process even since beginning of the foundation of the Federal Republic of Germany. It became not so clear, because higher tensions didn't result in phases with enough redistribution. All have cooperated and by my view it's a failing of the involved politician, that we miss a wider dispersal of property of the means of production in our society.

The ruling neon liberalism knows actually only one ethical principle, and this is the profit maximization. Social criteria are seen under economic consideration. When the location is so shattered by social tensions, that nothing will run any more, because it is better economically, to invest in the social area. The social justice actually is a foreign word for this system. That liberty and solidarity are at the same level, isn't recognized. An absolute autonomy for the owners of money and realcapital is demanded. Everything what stands contrary to this free unfolding, is economically damaging. To this belong the organizing tasks of the state, to this belong the unions, to this belongs the whole social statehood. The only one principle, that is valid, is the profit maximization. If the welfare of the nations by the classic economic theory would be important, the neon liberalism would declare clearly, the national economy has to be liberal. The only protection consists in the liability of the private property, this must be used for the personal purposes. The neon liberalism has the following approaches besides the principle of profit maximization:

1. Lean Management (small management) and by this reduction of workplaces

2. Greater liberty and with that deregulation

3. Reduction of social statehood

Neon liberalism (Radical form) means:

The only protection of the state consists in the liability of the private property

This can be used freely

The only ethical principle is the profit maximization

Such an economic theory will look for places primarily, where could be produced for the lowest price. They will do this there, if possible.

The essay of the commission of the conference of bishops "The many faces of the globalization" sees also in the globalization the leitmotiv in action, other ones see here more the worldview. However, there is more the impression, towards the technical rationality of the European American civilization, also their models are taken, they form new syntheses, when they join with traditional models, but by dominance of the European American model. At this the models of the western civilization in this process are also in change, e.g. the conventional solidarity and the social order of property and state.

The group of many developing and transformation nations (nations in the former Eastern bloc) has made profits by this development. Their share of the worldwide exports of industry products could be increased 1980 - 1993 for about 100%. The exports have increased more strongly than the gross national product. The extension of capital direct influxes is considerable. However, they spread out on few receivers predominating out of the area of the multinational companies. However, the advantages are distributed variously. The above mentioned commission makes this clear in the conference of bishops by "The many faces of the globalization".

But primarily the debt crisis takes the poorest nations hard to get contact to the other ones. (see unit 1). Therefore is demanded a debt release and an insolvency law for those nations, which are heavily in debt by the action Erlassjahr 2000.
< >

Middle of the sixties many economists and politician thought, the developing countries could reconstruct their economy very fast by lent capital. The newly ful developed economy of the developing countries should increase their exports clearly. They could pay all debts off then within few decades with the takings from these exports - so the theory. But the hopes of the seventies about a fast construction of a modern economy also in the developing countries proved usually as rash: The economic crisis of the seventies and eighties caused dropping prices of the produced goods in many developing countries and / or smaller purchase, because the industrial nations lowered their imports. The industrial nations shield their markets against many products from developing countries. While based on these two developments, the takings of many developing countries from their exports became reduced clearly, the interest rose within the eighties primarily by the credit financed arming of the USA seriously.

Which concrete meaning does the indebtedness have for the economy of a nation, shall be shown in parts of an article about Argentina, from the Homepage of "Südwind". Authors are Pedro Morazán and Irene Knoke, Institut SÜDWIND:
< www.suedwind-institut.de >

· distribute the arising burdens to all creditor groups just and transparent, only so can be guaranteed, that the country will get in the future the support of international sponsors, and attempts of single creditors can be kept away, to rub in their demands in full height.

This example shows clearly, what causes the over-indebtedness of nations, instead its service of economic progress. Nobody knows really, what happened with the money. A careful renovation should be done here, also for reasons of economic reason.

According to the federal ministry of economic cooperation and development is valid for the Federal Republic

2.1.2.3 The reduction of the meaning of work and the opening of thescissors between poor and rich

As a rule, in the developing countries with construction of its economy is noticed, that primarily conventional small and medium companies are not able to produce and they have to close. Workplaces are lost. If they are qualified, they have a chance in the new economy. Otherwise they get down further. The farming as subsistence economy, if it is available at the large scale landholding, a big number of people, who don't own any land, almost without any possession, lost their job. They settle e.g. in South America at the edge of the cities in the Favelas or Invasions (mud huts on occupied land, which are normally are built at dead of night. The towns show a modern and glittering picture inside, at the edge the poverty settles and grows. May be, more educated workers will find a new job. But the uneducated poor ones of yesterday will find themselves presumably in an even greater poverty the next morning, while the rich ones become more and more rich. Looking at the existing available population growth and the further expected development pushes this will strengthen more and more. The splitting of poor ones and rich ones becomes clearer and clearer.

Millions of desillusionated workers are the consequences of the globalization. After World War II they tried to form something like a of social pact, between work and capital, as the result of the experiences of the late Weimarer time and the National Socialism, but this is passed over today. However, this pact also lived from the possibilty, to be able to distribute increases permanently, but this was stopped at the latest middle of the seventies by the oil crises. The capitalism isn't able today, to donate prosperity for all. This also applies to the industrial nations. The inequality grows in the USA. The US American conference of bishops describes the situation 1996:

http://www.leuninger.de/sozial/usa.htm >

The real wage per hour of the Amerinas without any education sank in the USA 1973-1993 from 11.85 $ to 8.64 $. Within the early seventies the highest 5% of the income pyramid was ten times hgher than the lowest 5%. End of the nineties it is 15 times more. In the producing area in the USA 1,4 Millions of workplaces were lost 1978 - 1990. Mostly those without any education, lost their job, however, in the meantime this is effective also to be seen in the middle management. Someone, without education, who gets a new job, after he has lost his old one, normally gets less money than before, and isn't able to catch up for years.There are similar trends in many industrial nations.The number of unemployed in the Federal Republic of Germany has reached a new record again in January 2002 with 4.289.922 (10.4%). The dissimilar distribution of income becomes clear in the poverty/wealth report of the Federal Government:

The private fortune stock, the fortune incomes and the fortune formation of private households are distributed unevenly in Germany. The private fortune, the interest-bearing money fortune and real estate, less building and consumption debts, is in West Germany, after the income and consumption sample 1998 (EVS) 42% on the wealthiest 10% households, while only 4,5% belong to the lowest 50% households. The average per household in the new countries (88.000 DM) was 35% of the west German average (254.000 DM). The sum (8.2 Trillions DM) as well as the average amounts would be more highly and the unevenness of the distribution would represent itself still more greatly, if the richest households could be included. At the end of the year 1998 in Germany 2.88 Mill. persons in 1.5 Mill. households depend on help to the cost of living. Since 1973 the number has quadrupled in the old countries with that and in the new countries doubled since 1991. 2.21 Mill. of these were Germans and 665.000 foreign national."( Situations in Germany, The first poverty/wealth report of the Federal Government III – Situations in Germany)
< >

Not more than 70% of the justifiable claim welfare aid only. 10 % of the inhabitants of our nation live below the poverty line, which was defined by the European union, that means less than 50 % of the per head income for the head of the family.

Poor are particularly families with many children, single parents, handicapped person, long-term unemployed persons, older widowed women without own right to a pension, to list some groups only.

The experiences of the Weimarer time, that social safeguarding has to be part of the realization of the rights of citizens and human in the social democracy, have formed this formulation. We have, together with the hidden unemployed, so many workers without any work as in 1930, at that time the democracy collapsed. However, this shouldn't be repeated. But this isn't only a German problem, it's part of global problems, e.g. the rebellions 2001/2002 should be a warning. The increasing population pressure in countries of the third parties world, will intensify this problem again.

In this situation the decrease of the meaning of work is problematic, the decrease of the meaning of the unions as well, whereever they exist (They are forbidden in China). The developments in South Africa and also South America they got influenced by various supports, but this chance is reduced more and more.

As consequence of the development of poverty and the splitting of the societies in the developing countries the trend of migration, which run from to the industrial nations to these countries, has changed

This difference isn't only between the poor nations and the rich ones, and to those in the area of Subsahara-Africa, which are really developing countries and where is no economic growth, but inside of many developing countries, which have the great poverty, here the elites demand all available richness for themselves. E.g. Nigeria is a rich nation in Africa because of its oil deposits, but the share of the poor ones is very great, because of the unfair distribution. Here the beginning splitting, also in our nation, gets clearlier, between poor and rich.

A gigantic migration also arose from this. Until the sixties people emigrated from the industrial nations. The direction then turned, and the migration primarily was into the industry and rich nations. In 2000 there were about 150 million migrants in the whole world. How many of them are war refugees, is hard to say, the most should be work emigrants, who flee from the poverty of their countries. Among the migrants meanwhile there are 47.5% women. In the illegal immigration tragedies the whole drama of the situation gets clear.

The situation of the women is depressing particularly. The quota of employment has worldwide increased from 36 to 40% within the last years. But altogether the average income of the women still is lower, but there is still the double load about running the family. 95% of the so-called low payd jobs are done by women in Germany.

The meanwhile 1.5 billions people on the world below the poverty line do not allow us to be silent.

2.1.2.4 The corruiption

Whoever demands a debt relief in favor for the poor countries, as the campaign "Relief year 2000", will always be confrontated again and again with the argument, the governments of the indebted countries are anyway so corrupt, that a relief doesn't help. At this we often see clearly that there are two, who act, in corruption. But this isn't only a problem of the developing countries. Corruption has become a problem in Germany in the meantime, too. The ZEIT guessed, that the Federal government looses 10 billions alone by corruptible officials in the building area every year. A lot of preliminary proceedings are running in München and Frankfurt. But Germany isn't alone here: Is the corruption in Italy proverbially, in France they investigated 800 politicians, officials and owners of companies in the middle of the nineties, the Belgian NATO secretary general Willy Claes had to give up his job, after appropriate reproaches, highest public servants are in France under corruption suspicion (2002).

Nevertheless always is referred to Latin America and Africa because of corruption. However, there are always two, who are involved in the corruption. The industrial nations have to stop, to see corruption payments in the cultural field of the developing countries. Companies of the industrial nations have bribed, and the Swiss bank notes of the rulers of southern potentate got to Switzerland. Le Monde thinks, that French companies have paid 1994 converted about 2.8 billions DM bribe-money. German companies could remove bribe-money as reduced taxes untill some months before, but the law wasn't changed, because the so-called competitiveness of German companies. There are nations, their companies bribe more than German ones, but there are also such ones, which bribe less than the German do, e.g Switzerland and the USA..

Appropriately known leaders as Mobutu (Zaire), Moi (Kenya), Suharto (Indonesia) oder Marcos (Philippines) got furthermore loans from governments, as well as the IWF and the world bank, when there was known for a long time, that they would at least embezzle the money partly. At this, also the east west conflict and armtrade played an immense part. There are examples of projects, which were built based on corruption, and became never profitable. This was known before, but they continued. Now these nations have their "White elephants" (useless buildings) and their suitable debts.

Corruption is one of the worst problems in the world, besides poverty and war, so the statement of a scientist.

In the text of the episcopal commission "the many faces of the globalization" are described chances and riscs of the globalization

3.2 The ecological impact of globalization

3.2.1 Ecological gains and losses

In the development, nations come to their limits. Their absolute sovereignty claim is also put in question with that. That doesn't mean, that their end is to be seen, there are still enough tasks about narious national and regional problems. But in the nations the willingness decreases, to take on public tasks. Another cause is, they think it is impossible, to have any success against economic interest.

The trend to decontrol, deregulation and privatization is unbroken in the whole world. At this, however, there are great deficits of the supranational politics at the same time. This should get active just now, because the national politics loose meaning. There are some tests in the direction, the united nations also win meaning, but a serious join in these problems doesn't get clear yet. This would concern the social aspect primarily.

Understanding the state is important here. Fortunately in the last decade there is a turn form authoritarian systems to democracies, but it isn't sure, that they are accepted by everybody, there stability is unknown either. Anyway, the human rights are not adequately everywhere.

Here it is very positiv, that there are many not government organizations, proceeding worldwide. The churches are also involved here with their international welfare organizations. Globalization and its problems represent a challenge for many people, who confront with this. This is seen also, when in catastrophes personal help is expected.

The religions are demanded as well. A fight of the cultures isn't allowed. Approaches to inter religious conversations can be seen quite careful. This shows a difficult field, but has to be done consistently.

This development represents chances and endangerings. It cannot be allowed to drift, as neon liberalist market laws believe. Common consideration are already required, how to judge and to handle the development.

Perhaps the distinction of the concepts helps, like it was done by U. Beck (U. Beck, What is globalization..., Frankfurt a.M.1997). Globality means there, we all live already in a global world for a long time, there is no way back. Globalization is the test, to steer the further development of globality by international and national activities. Globalism means the predominant ideology for the world market, the neon liberalism with its trend about reducing the social, this is, so to speak, a widespread leitmotif of the globality.

A complete retreat into the little life world cannot be an answer. We have to ask ourselves clearly for our opinion about the global world. It's important to work out an opposite line to the neon liberalism, then that will become the way of behaving for our engagement in the process of the globalization. We have to become, in our view, "Global Players" and cannot let do neon liberalism everything.

Our leitmotiv is developed by the biblical picture of the Kingdom of God in the Old Testament, and is taken into the middle of its proclamation by Jesus. In chapter 2.5 of Unit 1 this was already worked in detail. However, it shall be represented once again especially under consideration of the globalization, at this intersections cannot be avoided.

Literature: Eigemann, Urs, "Das Reich Gottes und seine Gerechtigkeit für die Erde, Die andere Vision vom Leben, Zürich 1998", and other publications of him e.g. in Hillerich, Frank Hg. U.a. "Soziale Befreiung der Pastoral, Ein Werkstattbuch der Initiative Sozialpastoral im Bistum Limburg, Limburg 1999".

The Kingdom of God has worldwide dimension, there is justice and peace. All people will be gathered peacefully in it.

Jesus references to these messianic promises e.g. in the Gospel of Luke in the 4^th chapter.

The Messianic Kingdom has started in Jesus. He is the Messiah. Later this is called in Greek Christo and in Latin Christus. He is the anointed one. He exclaims a mercy year, in which the social justice is restored for all. He makes clear his option for the poor and smashed ones, he will bring including salvation. His message is the message of the Kingdom of God, an order, which he handles to his disciples and disciple. At this he refers to the old testament on the prophet Isaiah 61:

The anointed (Messiah) is actually the king, who shall construct the rule of justice and peace, as an order of God. Whenever the great attointed will come a large pilgrimage of all people will start. A Kingdom of justice and peace will be formed. This is the great vision of the prophet. Without the background of the old testasment, you won't be able to understand correctly the message of Jesus. Some elements of the message of the rule of God shall be presented here. Isaiah 2:

Here is talked about the global dimension of justice and peace, which will be created by God. All this will be done by the "Lord of Hosts" (Zebaoth - the most powerful). The Lord of Hosts, rule of God, these are concepts with the same meaning. It's talked about the King power's of God. The completion is celebrated in a great peoples meal.

The completion is celebrated in a great peoples meal (Doubling, see previous passage!). However, the death also will be past and all tears are dried. The wrong won't win, this is a consoling promise for all of them, who live in injustice, even if the choice of words is a little strange for ourselves.

Marvellous the vision of the blossoming steppe. The pictures declare themselves. Liberation from captivity is announced. A new heaven and a new earth arise.

The peace will spread to the whole new creation. Peace and justice will kiss themselves, belong together inseparably.

Everything will be okay

The image of God, this is human dignity, for man and woman equally. This is also valid for the poor ones, the widows and orphans and the foreigners in the country. God sees the tears of the needies in a special way.

These are some texts of the rule (Kingdom) of God of the old testament, about all he will do. They show clearly the Kingdom of justice and peace, and of salvation as a vision, and talk about the protection of the people with tears in their eyes, done by God. On this the message of Jesus is constructed. From this only some elements can be listed as well.

1. The Kingdom is here, but hidden

The Kingdom has arrived by him. It is present, but still not in the completion. This God will give one day.

We pray for the coming of the Kingdom of God, in "Our father... "

We shall look for it, shall support his fulfillment with all our power, although we know, that we can never reach the completion by this.

2. The Kingdom of God is for Jesus something like a great banquet with open table community

The rich ones have their problems with the Kingdom of God. Their chance to get in, are little, but nothing is impossible by God. The Kingom of God (Matthäus uses the identical concept "Kingdom of Heaven", by this religious Jews wanted to evade pronouncing the name of God) is here for everyone. The thought of a meal community with God is taken even in the old testament for the Kingdom of God.

3. There is a promise to the poor ones

This special emphasis is described in the parable of the meal. In the beatifications this is shown clearly.

It is not the question about fault and merit, but about the condition of poverty, how it was inherited structurally from.

4. Possession becomes relativated.

Possessin isn't the scale for social acceptance, not so by God. Possission has to be relativated, it may not be in the way for passing the entrance to the Kingdom of God.

The whole possession is just enough for the Kingdom of God.

5. To share

Sharing the bread with the hungry ones, this is the Kingdom of God. This makes miracles. Jesus shares himself with human, he invites us for sharing. Whoever shares, God share with him.

6. Love is expression of the proximity to the Kingdom of God

Whoever realizes the commandment of God's love and charity, is close to the Kingdom of God. The love includes also the enemy. The merciful Samariter makes clear who is the neighbour: The man in trouble, whom I meet. This meeting with the poor ones, then is referred to Jesus clearlier.

6. It is the task of the church and all disciples and disciple, to take the message of the Kingdom of God to the whole world.

The Gospel of the arrived Kingdom of God is the order of proclamation today and at all times. The church isn't the Kingdom of God, but the church has to build and to form it, it is its message about faith and works. It has to attest credibly, that the Kinngdom of God is the middle of the world.

The commission of the bishops for the globalization writes about the responsibility of church and religions:

For us, as a rule, this way goes ecumenically. This is no more a problem in Germany, many important statements are common. Worldwide this runs in some nations, but there are even many actions to be done. An even more intensive cooperation with the ecumenical office of the churches in Genf has to be looked for. The council process, "Justice, peace and keeping the creation" was a good example.

However, the church has to think and speak about this, also with other religions, which they can support commonly, forming the world more positively. A dialog is necessary for this between the religions, as the second Vatican council has made it possible for the Roman Catholic church. Looking for a common world ethos, stimulated by Hans Küng, could show a possible way. There are five commandments in the high religions, which are common. You shall not kill, you shall not lie, you shall not steal, you shall think highly of your parents and love the children. But there are serious differences in the concrete carrying out. He formulates an obliging world ethos as for all of them:

"Each person has to be handled human

Whatever you want, to be done to you, the same do to the other ones. ".

These two norms are valid to all areas of life, to all people, to all religions. Four unshakeable instructions arise from this:

1. The obligation to a culture of non-violence

2. The obligation to a culture of solidarity and a fair economic system

3. An obligation to a culture of tolerance and a life in truthfulness

4. An obligation to a culture of equal rights and partnership between man and woman.

However, there is responsibility for all of them. This has to come into the game also in the economic aczions. It hasn't to be only about own interests, but there exists an ethical responsibility as well, which goes beyond the own interests. Economic interest politics, national interest politics are demanded absolutely, but they have to take into account the global interest as well, also those of the coming generations. You don't have only responsibility for your company, for your nation, but for the whole, the globality (Küng, Hans, Weltethos für Weltpolitik und Weltwirtschaft, München 1998).

1. First an option for the life has to be demanded. The Kingdom of God is the Kingdom of life. A fulfilled life for all people is demanded. All basic needs have to be satisfied. The ressources of this world are decided for all. The right to property has to stay in the second line. The conditions for life have to be kept by this way.

2. The option for the life also includes nature and future generations.

3. The tolerant society is a society in which everyone will find his place. All discriminations are stopped. All are invited for the great banquet. Everybody has place at the table of the society.

3. Equal rights for the women are demanded. Women may be put at a disadvantage neither economically nor political or cultural. This is no reality in the world society, e.g. men control worldwide 90% of the income 99% of the possession, counted in money.

4. Historical political projects may not be handled generally or absolutey. The eschatologic reservation, which is over all (even in the heaven comes the completion) shows such projects always as historical. How long was fought, that the monarchies are absolute and unchangeable, there are still such ideas in other connections. Social order ideas have to be checked for their amicability with the Kingdom of God.

5. In the reality rules the priority of the politics. E.g. neon liberalism cannot say of itself, that

he isn't checkable socially by the politics. This is valid also for worldsociety.

6. So-called system dynamics may not lead to splittings in the society, like e.g. with the threatening for a "two third society". Social system dynamics have to run so, that they don't support unequal asymmetrical conditions, but egalitarian (equal)-symmetrical.

7. Meaningful work or minimum wage for life in human dignity has to be guaranteed. (U. Eigemann, Das Reich Gottes, S. 160-164).

The priority of the politics is asked around the globalization, but also actions in according to the Kingdom of God. The church, and with that all Christians, have the tasks, to announce and to live this message. The Kingdom of God is present, but hidden. It is present, but cannot be recorgnized yet. It is the task of all of us, to live our faith for the present Kingdom of God, by showing commitment to the relevation. We attest our faith by actions with that as well.

Roman Catholic social teaching becomes the lived Kingdom of God by that, in all resistances and temporary, in commitment for peace and justice, for respect of human dignity of men and women and for responsibility of the creation. The courage for this commtment is given to us by the promis, that the Kingdom of God is among us yet, and it will be completed by God one day.

The message of the Kingdom of God is option for the Christians, to check the time by the demand of this message and to support the best possible resolving according this message. The complete resolving will be done by God one day.

The globalization commission of the German conference of bishops supports an approach of the social teaching. It will achieve by this, that its request will be discussed also by not christians. The results are nearly the same. While the compatibility test is more general, summarizes the following text primarily to the questions about globalization.

The principles of the social teaching, personality, solidarity and subsidiarism, have gone beyond the area of the church in the meantime and are nearly common property. The idea of lasting has to be added. This principles, completed by the idea of social justice, have to be understood today more as options of the aim of a juster and peacefuller world. According to this the philosophically based change criteria are for a better world. For Christians they get, as theological causes, additional dynamics and prospects by the teaching of the Kingdom of God.

The global conditions don't escape a critical judgement, may be in the view of the Kingdom of God, may be by the reason, God has given to us and which is supported and motivated by the knowledge of our faith.

Results of these considerations are valid not only global, but also regional, national up to the little life worlds, especially they are based on the human dignity made by God finally. But first a critical analysis of the situation has to be done.

These critical scales demand us, not to accept the things as they are, but to change them, seen with our social ethical judgement, knowing that the last perfection cannot be reached and we are still on the way.

The culture is "the spiritual and material house", human builds, to be able to spend his life in this nature. The council describes this concept and shows clearly, that a culture is justified morally only, when it serves the whole mankind. Pastoral constitution Gaudium et spes (1965)

We have the vision of the Kingdom of God, which gives us criteria to judge the present culture. This judgement asks for changing actions. This is done by the cooperation at a culture of peace, so Johannes Paul II says, he talks about a civilization of love as well.

This culture is important, which is constructed on the human rights, which is part of the inheritance of all traditions of mankind, a culture of love, as Johannes Paul II. emphasizes again and again. Anyway, there is the danger in the globalization development, that the component of the social will be lost, which was emphasized primarily after World War II.

The ethical criteria, how a society shall be modified together with all people of good will, delivers scales for the actions. This cannot be done in all levels of culture by the same way, here normally have to be used criteria of a culture of peace, in the following we have to restrict ourselves to some problems of the worldwide culture. At this the document of the episcopal commission about globalization. is helpful. It shall be consulted primarily here. It is completed by questions about the acception by the Kingdom of God of the described situation.

As the globalization process runs at the moment, it isn't accepted by the Kingdom of God adequately, because it excludes whole nations and many people, primarily in the developing countries, from growing prosperity, and makes them even poorer. 15 billions people in poverty on the world, that contradicts the justice of God and his commitment to the poor ones. The exploitation of the creation also contradicts the order about keeping and sheltering it.

For realization of his will here on the earth, God has sent his anointed (the king, the government), he shall lead the people according to the will of God, and show commitment particularly for peace, justice and the right of those, who are pressed. This is nearly impossible in globalization of the economy and the fragmentation of state power, the economy has social counter-control fewer and fewer. The peace is threatened by internal conflicts primarily, pollutions are often international. The people are challenged here, to find steering instruments and to handle them, and so to realize the will of God. There has to be done as much as possible, little units instead of a centralism, depriving of power have not to be supported. Many things have to be coordinated.

The exploitation of the creation also contradicts the order about keeping and sheltering it. It is an equally intrusion in the life right of coming generations and a violation of the justice.

Because pollution, e. g. in the problem of our atmosphere, mostly is caused internationally, solidarity is asked, because this is a violation against charity.

All of us take responsibility for these tasks.We are parts of the started Kingdom of God. In the rule we can't do this alone, but together with others we can go forward step by step, as an African proverb says: Whenever little people do many small steps at many places, the world can be changed. Primarily the responsibility of the "Global Players" is asked, but also our attitude, e.g. how we handle the pressed ones in our neighbourhood.

The report of the commission for Global Governance appointed by the UN of 1995 heads its report: "Neighbors in one world". Basicly this is already an ethical statement about the worldwide relations. A world government isn't suggested, for this the world isn't democratic enough yet. But there may not be any world without a system or rules. This world would be chaotic. The challenge consists, so the report, "to find a balance, which corresponds to the interest of all people in a future calculated for lastingness, which is based on human sense, and which takes the harmony to the worldwide organization with the existing variety ". The world community has to find new senses for the living together. A "global citizen ethos" has to be found, that includes all rights and duties, which have to be accepted by all, public as private. Without such a frame the new formed "global civilian company" could become directionless and even not to be ruled, though." Such an ethos could strengthen further the existing international fundamental rights, and the moral fundament of an effective system could become world order. Not only human rights are allowed to exist, but also human duties, each person has to support this for putting through of the world ethos. The principles should be fixed in a "global charter of the civilian society".

Without any national states it's impossible to construct world order politics. A look into the history also shows this. Even in the old orient peace alliances were done between kings with equal rights, who called themselves brother. The contracts were done by rites with animal dividings, this one should be divided the same way who brokes the contract. Ambassadors were inviolably. Rom wanted peace, which based on its rule. The sentence primarily dates from this time "pacta sunt servanda" (Contracts have to be kept to). There was a system of partners also in the Middle Ages, up to the religious wars, but also again in the "Westfälischen Frieden" 1648, even sometimes with Islamic states. So an international law developed, up to the Völkerbund, the United Nations and the intrantionale agreements. Amongst this, there were nationalistic losses again and again, like the fascism. A new world order has to be build up only on the base of the human rights. A new globalorder can be formed only on the base of human rights. It seems, that this only can be done by contracts and regional combinings for the next future, but these have to be continued consequently, so a world government will be realized one day.

So national states will be the protagonists furthermore in a world order, but they are not more the only ones. They have to hand over rights to higher authorities. The global (transnational) economy organizations have to be built more and more, despite all failures they are irreplaceable. They have to work clear subsidiarily. That means, to support the relevant nations, to get them out of trouble, by themselves, if possible. They must be able to escape from the well justified reproach, to weaken solidly the social and educational institutions of the relevant nations by their currency actions. This is valid for the World Bank and the IMF. The WTO also needs further development. Social standards then are part of this in a growing measure, however, with that an unbridled capitalism isn't able to develop worldwide freely. Everything has to grow together to a new world order (Global Governance), which is supported by the above named ethos. An important task has to be done by this development in the economy regions, primarily common economy and social standards have to be discussed. The G7 (G8) - nations are not allowed to be a government of the rich ones, they have also to look for the social problems of the people. Otherwise they will have even more opponents.

The cross-border companies found such a power, which cannot be controlled by national states any more. Sometimes neon capitalist affected behaviour is to be noticed. But at the same time there grows also the consciousness of engaged politician and members of NGO = Non Government Organisation, that ethical standards of the world trade have to exist, and a social balance besides political and economic ones as well. The considerable power increase of transnational concerns has to be controlled politically, too. Transnational concerns shall look for their own interest, but always under consideration of the interest of the relevant people and of the whole. This means also, to develope rules for global financial policy and to realize them, to look for the worldwide conservation (e.g. the decisions of Rio, Agenda 21) and for the realization of international agreements, as there are the general explanation of the human rights in conventions and recommendations of the international labor organization. To this belong standards, as the ban of child labour, which reduces the life and development of the children and does only exploit them, forced labour, and an employment politic, which doesn't put anyone at disadvantage because language, skin color and ethnic origin, religion and sex. Possibilities have to be developed to control effectivly and if necessary to sanction this. Only by this a positiv development for all and for the transnational companies is possible.

The same is valid for the international Media concerns (Imperien - the word means that they rule already for a long time) working cross-border, their influence becomes greater and greater on the politics, primarily on elections in some nations. At the one hand they have to be free of politic exertion of influence, only so they can do their task independently, at the other hand the journalistic ethos of further development is nessecary, in these organizations also, so independence, respect of the human rights, the desire for peace and justice, the same acceptance of women and men. Media are inalienable in a global world, their task is, among others, to support the consciousness, that all people belong to one world, particularly to uncover corruption and failure primarily done in global actions.

The civilian social protagonists become important more and more, because they do lobby work for the problems of the poor ones and for the environment as well. By this it cannot be negotiated without public criticism in locked chambers. Because these civilian social activities look for the necessary public relations. They aren't fended on elections, so they take new ways, and are able to run topics, which are morely taboo politically. Here have to be listed, from the time around the millennium change the international action Erlassjahr 2000, which was discussed by activities, which made public the debt relief of developing countries (see Unit 1) and which will operate furthermore, too. It is an alliance of the most different activities, groups and institutions <http://www.erlassjahr.de>

Activities with aim of the one world work have to be added, the many groups and the partnerships, which support voluntary the problems of those, who were put under pressure in all the world. Amnesty International, Greenpeace, Cap Anamur, third world stores and many other initiatives could be listed here. Without their engagement in some crisis regions would run nothing and their commitment and support are impressive. They show commitment to the loosers of the globalization, as a rule as not-profit organizations - organizations which don't want to make any profit.

The Roman Catholic church is a global institution of their nature. The churches of the rich nations help in the poor nations by various manners and ways. MISEREOR shall be named here <http://www.misereor.de >, also ADVENIAT < http://www.adveniat.de > and RENOVABIS < http://www.renovabis.de/ >. Tha Caritas has to be added, in cooperation with Caritas Internationalis. They are comparable to other organizations in their motivation. Whoever comes to need and crisis areas, will meet these organizations again and again. If somewhere a catastrophe happens, in the rule they are with the first ones, who help.

However, important is also the construction of real partnerships. With that an intercultural giving and taking can be founded, to a dialog between the people and also between the religions. The rich nations also can learn from the poor ones. Partnerships of groups and municipalities however, also bring immediate impressions and responsibilities. Here and there has to be looked out for the possibility to introduce laymen into this process or even support it. These groups, and the municipalities and the church have to do lobbywork for the poor ones, and to take their problems to the public of the rich nations. It is also important, to look for partner organizations for their commitment, primarily in the public relations, like they did by the Erlassjahr 2000, because common you are stronglier.

Such actions surely have success, such as against child labour, against sex tourism and trading with thirld-world-goods. Anyway, this isn't the resolving of the problems, but these are steps on the right way. However, always remains the necessity in the field of a correct education, to found a broader and consilidated consciousness for the existing problems. For such a consolidation of the consciousness has supported the common essay of BUND (federation for environment and conservation < http://www.bund.de/ > and MISEREOR, which has developed in eight central ideas a way to a future capable Germany.

The possibility of ethical financial investments has to be discussed also. It has to be looked for such companies and possession administrators, who respect the aims of the council process, justice, peace and keeping the creation. A renunciation of higher profits is possible.

It's also a task of the chuch to run this by a well done ecumenical movement, this is okay in Germany primarily by corresponding statements. The discussions with the other churches have to be intensified primarily by available institutions.

We also have the chance here in Germany to come in conversation with almost of the religions of the world. Just the conversation with the Islam is a special challenge. To know each other is the first step, anyway, dialog is more difficult, however, it has to be done. Because we have to get used in the one world of globality to great pluralism, we have to do this in our country as well. Pluralism will be a sign of globality, for us this is a part of the peoples pilgrimage. This is also valid for the religions. Here we have to be one step in front.

Each parish has possibilities as well, to run new paths, there are even many actions done. Approaches are environmental protection, one-world-groups, partnerships, one-world-stores, engaged associations with their world welfare organizations and work in the field of education. Last not least the cooperation with the great church works, which would hardly be viable without the offerings from the parishes.

Johannes Paul II. says: "...to hold a globalization of solidarity towards a globalization of profit and misery..." Whoever believes, that the central of the message of Jesus is the sermon about the Kingdom of God, will show commitment to justice for and on this earth. The Kingdom will get visible by us against all counterforces of this world, we can trust, that our actions are the most meaningful, in spite of all problems and setbacks, because God gives the completion.

1. What is understood with globalization?

2. Name three causes for globalization?

3. Name three consequences of globalization?

4. Where do you meet questions handling globalization?

1. By whom did arrive the Kingdom of God, but isn't finshed yet, please give a short reason for your answer?

2. What do you understand with checking for amicability with the Kingdom of God, and name some examples?

3. Which ethical criteria are particularly important for you?

4. How do you judge shortly the situation of the globality?

1. What can do national states and the nationcommunity?

2. What has to be done in the area of transnational companies?

3. How an international civilian society can be supported?

4. What can you do in your neighbourhood (e.g. in the parish)?

When you look at the theoretical approaches of the Roman Catholic social teaching, so there are different development lines.

First the natural rightly philosophical approach, then biblical thoughts to the theology of liberation up to the ideas of the Kingdom of God came by Jesus. The nature rightly approach bases on old traditions, which go back up to the antiquity and over Thomas von Aquin, the nature right philosophers of the Neuzeit and the newscholasticans after the end of the 19^th century.

Their philosophy, primarily the principles of personality, solidarity and subsidiarism have got meaning far beyond the Roman Catholic area as change criteria. They cooperate with the modern approaches of founding the general human rights, but they show clearly, that they are not only valid individually, but have a social meaning. This gets primarily clear in the idea of the social justice.

In the meantime these ideas became common property. They can be found also in the Protestant social ethic, because they give reasons for the central of the golden rule of Jesus

This rule is also as another formulation by Kant and other religions.

The theology of liberation with its option for the poor ones makes clear the condition of the injustice and motivates to actions for more justice, as is it wanted by God. By this the development, the social teaching gets new dynamics about the condition of the Kingdom of God, that has begun by Jesus. Here Protestant and Roman Catholic approaches meet one more time.

When questions are discussed about a world with more justice in its globality, these ideas of social ethics are contributions of worldethos, dealed all over the world. The report of the Global Governance appointed by UN of 1995, has not without reason the title: "Neighbors in one world". The topic is good neighborhood and handling each other peacefully. That is an ethical question. The further development of a world ethos is asked for. The future of mankind depends on this.

As religions the Roman Catholic and the Protestant churches do a contribution, with their social teaching and social ethic and the development of the world ethos, with the new understood social principles of social ethical changing-criteria, and the object of a worldwide social justice as fundament of the worldpeace, an important part of the discussion about a good future of the global world.

Adveniat, Die Kirche in der gegenwärtigen Umwandlung Lateinamerikas im Lichte des Konzils, Beschlüsse der II: Generalversammlung Celam, Medellìn 1968, Aachen, Dokumente und Projekte 1968

Beck, Ulrich, Hrsg., Politik der Globalisierung, Frankfurt Main 1998

Beck, Ulrich, Perspektiven der Weltgesellschaft, Frankfurt Main 1998

Beverly Wildung, Harrison, Die neue Ethik der Frauen. Stuttgart 1991

Boff, Leonardo, Aus dem Tal der Tränen ins Gelobte Land, Rio de Janeiro 1980, Düsseldorf 1984

Boff, Leonardo, Ethik für eine neue Welt, Düsseldorf 2000

Cardenal, Ernesto (aufgezeichnet von E.C.) das Evangelium von Solentiname, Wuppertal 1980

Eigemann, Urs, Das Reich Gottes und seine Gerechtigkeit für die Erde, Die andere Vision vom Leben, Zürich 1998

Feministische Plattform Wirtschaftsethik. Evangelische Akademie Iserlohn. Tagungsprotokolle 97,6. Iserlohn 1997

Frauenforschungsprojekt zur Geschichte der Theologinnen, Neukirchen/Vlyn, 1994

Freire, Paolo, Der Lehrer ist Politiker und Künstler, Neue Texte zu befreiender Bildungsarbeit, (Sammlung verschiedener Aufsätze), Hamburg 1981

Freire, Paolo, Pädagogik der Unterdrückten, Stuttgart/ Berlin 1971

Günter, Andrea, u.a. (Hrsg.), Weiberwirtschaft weiterdenken. Luzern (Exodus) 1998

Gutierrez Merino, Gustavo, Theologie der Befreiung, München 1973

H. Steinkamp, Sozialpastoral, Freiburg 1991

Halkes, Catharina, Gott hat nicht nur starke Söhne, GTB 1985

Hartmann, Günter, Christliche Basisgruppen und ihre befreiende Praxis, Mainz 1980

Hengsbach, Friedhelm, Die andern im Blick, Christliche Gesellschaftsethik in den Zeiten der Globalisierung, Darmstadt 2001

Hillerich, Frank Hg. U.a. Soziale Befreiung der Pastoral, Ein Werkstattbuch der Initiative Sozialpastoral im Bistum Limburg, Limburg 1999

Höffner, Josef, Christliche Gesellschaftslehre, 2. durchgesehene Auflage der Neuausgabe, Kevelaer 2000.

J.B. Metz, Zum Begriff der neuen politischen Theologie 1967-1997, Mainz 1997

Juan Carlos Scanone, Weisheit und Befreiung, Volkstheologie in Lateinamerika, Düsseldorf 1992

Jürgen Moltmann, Gott im Projekt der modernen Welt, Beiträge zur öffentlichen Relevanz der Theologie, Gütersloh 1997

Kaiser, Reinhard, Hrsg. der deutschen Ausgabe (Frankfurt), Global 2000, Bericht an den Präsidenten. 49. Auflage 1984

Klingenbiel, Ruth u.a. Hrsg., Globalisierung aus Frauensicht, Bilanzen und Visionen, Bonn 1998

Küng, Hans, Weltethos für Weltpolitik und Weltwirtschaft, München 1998

Mette Norbert, Steinkamp Hermann, die Grundprinzipien der Sozialpastoral. Am Beispiel des 'Plano de Pastoral de Conjunto' der Diözese Creatéus (Brasilien) in: Pastoraltheologische Informationen 14 1994 Seite 79-92

Meyers, Diana T. (Hrsg.), Feminist Social Thougth. New York 1997

Meyer-Wilmes, Hedwig, Zwischen lila und lavendel, Regensburg, 1996

Misereor, Land, ein lateinamerikanisches Lesebuch, Aachen 1991

Moltmann-Wendel, Elisabeth, Menschenrechte für die Frau / Frauenbefreiung, München, 1978

Münch, Richard, Globale Dynamik, lokale Lebenswelten. Der schwierige Weg in die Weltgesellschaft, Frankfurt am Main 1998

Nell-Breuning, Oswald, Gerechtigkeit und Freiheit. Grundzüge katholischer Soziallehre, Wien, München, Zürich 1980

Phatmater, Josef, Furger, Franz, Hrsg. Katholische Soziallehre in neuen Zusammenhängen, Köln 1985

Scanone, Juan Carlos, Weisheit und Befreiung, Volkstheologie in Lateinamerika

Schlangenbrut, Streitschrift für feministisch und religiös interessierte Frauen, unverschämt lebendig – lateinamerikanische Befreiungstheologie, Nr. 75, 11/2001

Schottroff, Luise, Lydias ungeduldige Schwestern, Gütersloh, 1994

Schüssler-Fiorenza, Elisabeth, Zu ihrem Gedächtnis, München / Mainz, 1988

Steinkamp, Hermann, Sozialpastoral, Freiburg 1991

Steinkamp, Hermann, Solidarität und Parteilichkeit, Für eine neue Praxis in Kirche und Gemeinde, Mainz 1994

Tetzlaff, Rainer, Weltkulturen unter Globalisierungsdruck, Bonn 2000

Vogt, Markus, Globale Nachbarschaft, Christliche Sozialethik vor neuen Herausforderungen, München 2000

Wissenschaftlichen Arbeitsgruppe für weltkirchliche Aufgaben der Deutschen Bischofskonferenz Hrsg, Die vielen Gesichter der Globalisierung - Perspektiven einer menschengerechten Weltordnung

Wort des Rates der Evangelischen Kirche in Deutschland und der Deutschen Bischofskonferenz zur wirtschaftlichen und sozialen Lage in Deutschland Für eine Zukunft in Solidarität und Gerechtigkeit, Bonn 1997

Ziegler, Karl-Heinz, Brieskorn, Norbert, Senghaas, Dieter, Waldenfels, Hans, Weltordnungspolitik für das 21. Jahrhundert, Historische Würdigung - Ethische Kriterien - Handlungsoptionen, München 2000

Theology of liberation:
< http://members.aol.com/befreiungstheo/ >
im Anhang des dortigen ausführlichen Artikels zur Befreiungstheologie unter LITERATURVERZEICHNIS, zuvor eine umfangreiche Darstellung der Befreiungstheologie

Juan Carlos Scanone, Weisheit und Befreiung, Volkstheologie in Lateinamerika, Düsseldorf 1992 Eine ausführliche Literaturliste der deutschsprachigen Werke zum Thema steht bei Scanone in diesem Buch

Feminist theology:
Wacker, Marie-Theres, Seminar für Theologische Frauenforschung Uni Münster, auch im Internet:
>