Kyrkan som ett sakrament för världen : En studie om rörelsen mot frikyrkliga folkkyrkor och folkkyrkliga frikyrkor

Sammanfattning

The thesis opens with an exploration of how the concepts of "free church" and "folk church" congregational perspectives have been employed in contrast to one another. This use of the terms reflects a specific historical context in which they originated. New eras bring new challenges, including those related to the self-understanding of churches. Moreover, the two traditions have increasingly converged, evident in the emergence of "free-church folk churches" and "folk-church free churches." The empirical turn and research into lived ecclesiology have uncovered this convergence.Through a straightforward analytical framework that highlights differing emphases on the perspectives of mediating and receiving God’s grace, the thesis demonstrates the practical implications of these varying focal points. Utilizing Jürgen Moltmann’s ecumenical methodology, free church and folk church traditions are analyzed as distinct testimonies to one and the same church. A theological dialogue based on testimonies of ecclesiological perspectives within these traditions serves as a foundation for constructing a contemporary ecclesiology.The thesis also contributes by foregrounding an expression from the global ecumenical movement: the church as a sacrament for the world. This notion provides a robust basis for theological reflection on the ecclesiological shifts that have already occurred and continue to unfold. Furthermore, the study seeks to inspire those who envision a shared future and a renewed ecclesiology for the present age to become facilitators of common Eucharistic worship in local contexts and to engage in diaconal action alongside all efforts for the common good. It advocates for the affirmation of a grassroots ecumenism that fosters ongoing and essential theological reinterpretation of ecclesiology.