Project Details
Projekt
The Construction of Clerical power by the Community of Believers
Subject Area
Roman Catholic Theology
Empirical Social Research
Practical Philosophy
Empirical Social Research
Practical Philosophy
Term
since 2025
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 534685649
Reflecting on sexualised violence in the Catholic Church, it has been and continues to be stated repeatedly that the clericalist exaggeration of the ordained ministry is one of the factors that encourages the abuse of power and its concealment. This assumption is confirmed not least by some of the legal reports prepared on behalf of the dioceses. From a theological perspective, the connection between clericalism and the abuse of power is analysed among others in terms of systematic theology, liturgical studies and pastoral theology. In doing so, the authorship of clericalist tendencies is often located in magisterial theology. In contrast, much less attention is paid to the question of the extent to which the community of believers contributes to the perpetuation of clericalist thought patterns - and thus at the same time to conditions that favour abuse - by attributing power to the ministers. The subproject aims to close this research gap and develop a comprehensive perspective on the factors and motives that lead to the ascription of power to Catholic ministers. It is divided into two main parts. Firstly, in a series of social-philosophical studies, theoretical figures of thought and empirical findings are brought together. Assumptions are developed about possible motives that are relevant for the attribution of power to a small group by a large group. The concept of the social imaginary is used as a heuristic to analyse the dynamics between the protagonists and to understand the mechanisms of power attribution. In particular, the phenomenon of ‘voluntary submission’, i.e. the loyalty of the crowd to those in power, is analysed. Secondly, in an empirical study conducted as a doctoral project, concrete self-descriptions are collected describing the motives and factors that promote the acceptance of existing power relations. This data, which will be obtained from qualitative interviews with members of various Catholic parishes, will serve as a touchstone for the theoretical assumptions developed in the social philosophy part of the project. Throughout, the ways in which gender differences and intergenerational relationships of responsibility influence the reproduction of power structures will be analysed. Overall, the subproject aims to develop a differentiated, conceptually and empirically sound understanding of the interactions within the church between the so-called laity and the ministers. The project is based on the research objective of analysing the complex interweaving of theological and social dynamic factors that contribute to the perpetuation of abusive framework conditions.
DFG Programme
Research Units
