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- Subproject: The meaning of Church from the future
- Subproject: The spirituality of the pastor
- Subproject: Empirical ecclesiology
- Subproject: Prefiguration
- Subproject: Intercultural perspectives
- Subproject: Prayer
- Subproject: Developing an ecclesiology from the margins
- Subproject: Faith formation in a networked society
- Subproject: Lived religion
Subproject: Empirical ecclesiology
The future begins in the present.
The project Church from the future explores the question of a contemporary theology of the church (ecclesiology) in the light of God’s future. A theology of the church cannot exist without being grounded in the lived reality of church life. Dreams about the church’s future too often remain just that—dreams—while the church already exists as a gift from God. This subproject seeks to do justice to the church in its present form. In the way the church exists now, the movement toward God’s future is already contained. All theological reflection on the church—whether in academic theology, church policy, or local congregations—must take seriously the church’s empirical reality.
This subproject aims to develop methods for bringing the empirical shape of the church into view and linking this to theological reflection on the church in light of God’s coming future. Understanding how the church can live toward the future begins with understanding how the church exists today. Empirical ecclesiology is therefore concerned with being church and with the question of how believers and congregations embody the gospel in the present.
The subproject explores this along three lines:
- Developing instruments to improve knowledge about church life. How do we know what is happening in Christian communities, and how do we encourage conversations in congregations about their own church identity? Based on Australian research, the diagnostic and guiding tool Nieuw Kerkelijk Peil (NKP) has been developed in recent years. We aim to strengthen NKP by improving its validity and better understanding its impact.
- Gaining insight into the church’s self-understanding (how congregations see themselves) and its social significance (how society views the church). To this end, new data will be collected and existing data on church life analysed. A sustainable research infrastructure for studying church life will be developed in collaboration between the church and the university.
- Developing theory on the relationship between theological thinking about the church (ecclesiology) and empirical knowledge about actual church life. How can insight into what the church is contribute to convictions and practices expressing what the church could be in light of God’s future?
