Kirche und Zivilgesellschaft im Wandel

The uncertain future of churches raises questions about their place between the state, the market and civil society. This is because churches operate within a religious-political framework, are subject to economic logic and act within civil society. From social science and theological perspectives, they are analysed in this trisectoral field and increasingly assigned to the sphere of civil society. This highlights how churches, as civil society actors, can assert their religious identity in service of the common good. Their contribution must continually prove itself in the tension between theological identity, social openness and democratic participation.