Volume 81, Issue 2

The pandemic has confronted the churches with various difficult questions both practical and theological. Is there a responsible way of celebrating worship in the churches without risking people’s health? Numerous creative new digital formats were developed in the parishes to offer alternatives. How does God work in the pandemic? Is there any causal connection between God and the virus? The responses to this question are not only of philosophical importance, but have fundamental consequences on how we pray and how we identify God’s presence in our lives. Some responses affirm God’s role in the origin of the virus, e.g. by identifying the work of the deus absconditus in it, others emphasize the mysteriousness of God’s action, others see God’s action in God’s spirit of creative energy to overcome suffering in human and non-human nature. The latter approach is developed by an understanding of God based on God’s revelation in Jesus Christ and an eschatological interpretation of its visibility beyond current experiences of destruction and despair.

The article explores changes in public self-awareness resulting from the reduction of social interaction in physical presence during the Covid-19 pandemic. Following the three dimensions of shared public space, social interaction in direct encounter, and shared meaning, the text argues that dwindling opportunities to experience social cohesion may become paradigmatic for more fundamental deficiencies in societal interaction. Seen in this light, church services in physical presence can help to maintain a sense for public life in physical presence, unmediated by digital tools.

A year of church under pandemic conditions: Taking Christmas as the starting point of God's self-revelation and spiritual reassurance in this shaky and unsettled pandemic world Provost Dr. Christina-Maria Bammel presents in a personal essay her view of the theological, practical, spiritual church-leadership challenges of this time. On the one hand she looks back and attempts to clarify how the church, in its various manifestations, in congregation and regional church, in physical and virtual presence, has acted so far. On the other hand, she looks ahead and proposes how best to respond to current concerns, to long-known phenomena and new processes, i.e. reorganizing parishes for the good of the neighborhood, which have gained relevance and urgency. There is no simple way to speak of a life after Covid 19, but there is a spiritual and material need to accept that from now on, we have to face a future church life with the virus.

This paper offers reflections of broadcasted church services by describing and analyzing concrete experiences with online services, which are produced professionally by using the chances and means of filming. From that vantage point general theological issues in the COVID-19 era are addressed, in particular those that are related to the transformation in celebrating services. The importance of bodily resonances and the importance of synchronicity are addressed as well as the ecclesiological issue about the various publics and the various ways in which the church speaks. The various aspects are connected by the conviction that the practical and ethical necessities in times of COVID-19 raise general theological questions beyond the pandemic.

The article focuses on liturgical questions caused by the Corona-pandemic and concentrates on the question of liturgical presence. For the Reformation, the presence of Christ/of God’s word and the presence of the congregation as an active subject in worship is central: Worship is all about the communio in a vertical and horizontal perspective and the participation of the whole congregation. Seen in this perspective, the discussion about the possibility of (Sunday) services in physical co-presence in 2020 was notably reduced. The article reflects (1) on bodily presence in digital contexts, (2) on the presence of the Church in the public sphere, and (3) on God’s presence in worship. The article aims to overcome dualistic concepts of ‘digital vs. analogue’ and reevaluate the chances of digital presence and physical co-presence in liturgical contexts.

The article shows that severe global crises, such as we are currently experiencing, threaten not only natural and mental life, but also spiritual life. Self-confidence, trust in the world and trust in God are shaken. For theology and the churches, self-examination and self-criticism should be the first priority in this situation. Long-held misconceptions of God and God's omnipotence and nature-romantic notions of creation urgently need to be corrected. Constructively, the powers of the divine Spirit, a spirit of justice, freedom, truth, peace and human kindness should be recognized, appreciated and strengthened. This Spirit gives multiform comfort and counteracts the dangers of the spread of a multifaceted hatred. The danger of hatred not only in its loud and aggressive forms, but also in the quieter forms of increasing unkindness and decreasing trust in God, paralyzing resignation and indifference, is counteracted by the Spirit of comfort in an overwhelming way. It surrounds us from all sides, not only in family, friendship, therapeutic and pastoral relationships. As a Spirit of practiced justice, freedom, truth and peace, it is a worldwide source of reassurance, security, confidence, courage and new hope.