Faced with the erosion of democratic values, President Henrik Stubkjær reminds churches of their calling to advocate for human dignity and inclusive communities. Photo: VELKD/Frank Hofman
In a meeting with German church leaders, Stubkjær reflects on churches’ responsibility to defend democracy and dignity
(LWI) - The role of the churches in upholding democracy and sharing hope with people in challenging times. That was the focus of reflections shared by the President of the Lutheran World Federation, Danish Bishop Henrik Stubkjær, with members of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany at a meeting in Vienna, Austria, on 1 March.
The LWF leader looked back at ways in which the global communion and its member churches have responded in the past to threats of violence and violations of human dignity. He recalled the words of German theologian and pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, writing during the rise of the Nazi regime, who described the task of the church in the public space as threefold: preaching the gospel, sounding the alarm in the face of emerging evil and providing counsel in dialogue with others to find effective solutions.
Pointing to the erosion of democratic values in many parts of today’s world, he noted that the defence of “democracy, public witness and hope are intertwined in how we as Lutheran churches, respond to the complex challenges of our time.” But as a communion of 150 churches present in 99 countries, he stressed the importance of recognizing the diverse political contexts within which those churches work. Many are living as minority religious communities, he said, “making their democratic witness both complex and courageous.”
Separation of church and state
A second observation that Stubkjær shared with his audience was the more recent phenomenon of “democracies being undermined from within” through the rise of populism and extremism across Europe, the U.S.A. and Latin America. Here the challenge is particularly insidious, he noted, since the word ‘democracy’ is often “co-opted by those who [....] will actually seek to establish anti-democratic structures.” This challenges the church “to clarify not just democratic structures, but democratic culture,” he insisted.
LWF President Henrik Stubkjær joined Lutheran leaders from Germany for a discussion about church and democracy. Photo: VELKD/Frank Hofman
Lutheran leaders from churches Germany, the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom discussing democracy and church. Photo: VELKD/Frank Hofman
Thirdly, the LWF president reflected on the theological understanding of separation between church and state, as Martin Luther wrote about in his doctrine of the ‘two kingdoms’, the earthly and the spiritual. Though churches should not simply “interfere” in state affairs, he stressed that “there remains a prophetic responsibility to remind rulers that they must answer to God and to consistently advocate for justice, charity and peace.”
Stubkjær said these three observations require a clear framework for action which is set out in the LWF statement ‘The Church in the Public Space’. This 2016 document, he said, is a call that transcends partisan politics, reminding churches that they are “called by God to be transformative agents in the world, [....] to move beyond their institutional comfort zones and prophetically stand in solidarity with the cries and hopes heard in their local and global
LWF President Henrik Stubkjær and LWF Vice-President for Central Western Europe Bishop Kristina Kühnbaum-Schmidt. Photo: VELKD/Frank Hofman
Churches must be “self-critical and transparent, modelling the accountability we seek in democratic institutions.”
LWF President Bishop Henrik Stubkjær
The framework presented in this statement can help in navigating “the complex landscape of democracy advocacy in diverse contexts,” the LWF leader said. It emphasizes the role of the churches in advocating for the conditions that make democracy possible: equal access to common goods and decision-making, safety for all, particularly the vulnerable, and the meaningful participation of all groups in society.
Furthermore, the statement reminds the churches to be “self-critical and transparent, modelling the accountability we seek in democratic institutions,” Stubkjær said. Finally, it warns against any religious or political ideology dominating the public space, “affirming plurality while advocating for human dignity.”
Hope is the lens through which we look at the world
The LWF president spoke about the vital role of hope, not merely as a “naïve optimism about the future, but a theological foundation for realistic engagement with today’s challenges.” Hope provides “the courage to stand for human dignity when democracy is threatened,” he said, as well as “the wisdom to model inclusive community when societies are polarized and the perseverance to work for justice when progress seems distant.”
Noting that the new LWF Strategy is entitled ‘Sharing Hope’, Stubkjær unpacked the four priority areas of responsible theology, thriving churches, justice and peace, and service and dignity, exploring ways in which they relate to the task of upholding democracy. He shared examples of LWF’s work in these four areas, concluding with the words of the final message from the Thirteenth Assembly in Kraków: “Hope is the lens through which we look at the world, as followers of Christ, journeying together into the future.”
