Catholicism between traditionalism and modernisation on the example of layperson's initiatives on the condition of the community's diaspora situation

Abstract

"The aim of this paper is to identify consistencies and changes in the religious activities of Herr Schneider on the base of two interviews, carried out in 1997 and 2007. After the omission of the recto rate, as a parish's member he began to take the initiative in matters concerning the church, and so he planned and organised divine services, in which novel and modern elements such as dramatic performances and rock music are included. Through these activities, he is associated with the part of the community, which is open-minded about these elements, and on a structural level he develops affinities to a group, which is, in terms of content, antipodal, for it cultivates a traditionalistic conception of religion and established a private prayer group. The structural analogies of his forward-looking activities to those of the prayer group follow from the conditions of the community's diaspora situation, that involves a higher relevance of the single community rather than of the Catholic church as a whole. The significant role of the community's medium level between individual and official church for the believers' attitudes is pointed out. Finally, his biography is to be discussed from the secularisation theory's point of view." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Cite article

Jung, M. (2009): Katholizismus zwischen Traditionalität und Modernisierung. Ein Fallbeispiel zu Laieninitiativen unter der Sonderbedingung einer Diasporasituation. In: Sozialer Sinn, Vol. 10, No. 2, p. 345-370.