The Berlin Crisis: Protestant Debates over the Church’s Mission, 1974-1975

Abstract

This essay seeks to contribute to the growing body of literature that addresses the rapid period of change in post-World War II Christianity. The long Sixties presented a crisis for churches in the Western World. To say that this crisis looked the same in each region it touched would be a mistake. It took many different forms, including the Federal Republic of Germany. Protestants wrestled with the question of whether their faith convictions necessitated political engagement and responsibility. This question became especially pertinent in West Berlin due to the Evangelical Church in Berlin-Brandenburg’s encounter with left-wing terrorism. The encounter caused tremendous upheaval in West Berlin including an increase in the number of church departures by members of the laity. By taking the shape of a microhistory, this essay draws on speeches, letters, newspaper articles, and public statements to show how Protestants in West Berlin in late 1974 through mid-1975 understood the extent to which their church should engage in the political realm. It demonstrates how progressive Protestants tended to favor direct engagement in the political realm, while conservative Protestants saw this as a misinterpretation of the church’s mission, opting for a more passive posture. The contention is that by asking a big question in a small place, we see irreconcilable visions of political engagement within the Evangelical Church in Germany.