The Institute for Ecumenical Research in Strasbourg hosted a gathering of the German Ecumenical Studies Committee from February 6 to 8, 2019.
Under the auspices of a study day, the committee dealt with the theme “Where is Lutheranism Going? Opportunities and Challenges in the 21st Century.” Dr. Dr. Benjamin Hasselhorn (Wittenberg) and Prof. Dr. Ralf Frisch (Nürnberg) pointed out prospects for the Lutheran church in response to present-day challenges. In his lecture on “Lutheran Identity,” Prof. Dr. Theodor Dieter of the Institute placed high priority on the communication of the theological content held by worldwide Lutheranism. Another portion of the working time focused on, among other things, ecumenical documents emerging from various national Lutheran-Catholic dialogues. After discussing the Finnish declaration on “Communion in Growth”, the committee wrapped up with a report on the German document “Gott und die Würde des Menschen” (God and the Value of Human Beings).
The German Ecumenical Studies Committee is a branch of the German National Committee of the Lutheran World Federation, which takes up the theological work of the LWF for the purpose of accompanying German Lutheranism and contemporary themes in ecumenical theology. To this committee belong representatives of Germany’s Lutheran Landeskirchen and Institutes for Ecumenical Research, delegates of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany (VELKD) and a member of the German National Committee of the Lutheran World Federation. Ecumenical guests participate as well.
Learn more (in German) at: https://www.dnk-lwb.de/de/content/oekumenischer-studienausschuss-146-0
Dr. Mirjam Sauer