Offene Enden

Currently, the two largest Christian communities in Germany find themselves in a far-reaching process of disintegration, one that is not imposed from outside. Instead, the faithful themselves are leaving the churches of their own free will. They are voting with their feet, possibly bringing about the demise of Germany's largest cultural associations. This erosion is attributable to institutional realities rather than to lived religious experience. It therefore appears imaginable that Christian principles will soon be reconceived and practiced in new ways in the central buildings of our cities and villages.

Offene Enden (Open Ends) investigates the new and to some extent hybrid programs for sacred buildings that were hitherto exclusively devoted to religious functions. Are we witnessing the beginnings of a different type of church, one no longer based solely on membership, but instead on the involvement of a variety of individuals over time?

With contributions by Thomas Erne, Matthias Hamann (photo essay), Karl-Heinz Hörning, Hans Joas, Kerstin Menzel, Claudia Neu, Detlef Pollack, Andrée Volkmann (comics), and others

• New perspectives regarding the reutilization of churches in Germany
• The potential of church spaces as public places for communities
• Features new and practical forms of parish work
• Follow up to Ein neuer Typus Kirche and 500 Kirchen, 500 Ideen