scholarly journals Can the State Accelerate the Secular Transition? Secularization in East and West Germany as a Natural Experiment

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 626-642 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jörg Stolz ◽  
Detlef Pollack ◽  
Nan Dirk De Graaf
Keyword(s):  
Natural Experiment ◽  
East Germany ◽  
State Intervention ◽  
The State ◽  
West Germany ◽  
Central European ◽  
East And West Germany ◽  
Incentive Structures ◽  
The World ◽  
The Church

Abstract Germany was a divided country from 1949 until 1989. During this period, West Germany remained a rather religious country, while East Germany became, under socialist rule, one of the most secular regions in the world. We use this case of socialist state intervention as a natural experiment to test Voas’ model of secular transition, which states that all Western and Central European countries follow the same path and speed of secularization. We employ ESS, GSS, and KMU surveys, as well as church statistics, to show that Voas’ model holds for West Germany but not for the East. In East Germany, the state accelerated the secular transition substantially: through coercion, incentive structures, and education, it succeeded in triggering mass disaffiliations from the church irrespective of age, and in discouraging parents from socializing their children religiously. This led to a self-perpetuating process that resulted in a rapid increase in the number of people who were never socialized religiously at all.

A Christian in the Office of Constitutional Judge [1999]

2020 ◽  
pp. 280-287
Author(s):  
Ernst-Wolfgang Böckenförde ◽  
Mirjam Künkler ◽  
Tine Stein
Keyword(s):  
Catholic Church ◽  
Central Committee ◽  
The State ◽  
West Germany ◽  
Constitutional Court ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Servant ◽  
The World ◽  
Federal Constitutional ◽  
The Church

In this personal reflection, Böckenförde portrays the dilemma he faced during his tenure as a judge on Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court: trying to bridge his Christian Catholic spirituality with his work as a high-ranking public servant in a secular state. He describes his struggle with the Catholic teachings prior to Second Vaticanum, which at that time still defined the state as ideally Catholic and demanded every believer in public office to act as a vanguard for Christian natural law. But by committing himself to the public good, Böckenförde sidestepped the requirement of the Catholic Church and fully embraced the democratic, religiously neutral political order. Böckenförde justified his position (deviant in the eyes of the Church) by insisting on the strict neutrality demanded from a judge. He pointed to the so-called Church Compromise of the Weimar Republic (Weimarer Kirchenkompromiss), which established the neutrality of the state with regard to religion, and which was re-adopted in West Germany after 1949. He also relinquished his consultative role in the Central Committee of Catholics once he was nominated to the Constitutional Court. Even in cases affecting abortion, he only dealt with the issues at hand as a judge, not as a Catholic. In his view, Christian spirituality can manifest itself in faithfulness to one's office and an integrity that is open to the world.

The Luther Anniversary in East Germany

1984 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 112-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert F. Goeckel
Keyword(s):  
East Germany ◽  
Martin Luther ◽  
West Germany ◽  
The Other ◽  
Intermediate Range ◽  
Lutheran Church ◽  
East And West Germany ◽  
International Attention ◽  
State Cooperation ◽  
The Church

In 1983 two events focused international attention on East and West Germany. One was the collapse of talks on intermediate range missiles in Geneva and the consequent deployment of the missiles by NATO. The other was the 500th anniversary of the birth of Martin Luther. The Luther anniversary cast the spotlight particularly on communist East Germany, which revised its previously negative interpretation of Luther and not only marked his birth with elaborate festivities but also extended unprecedented assistance to the Lutheran church for its celebration. Yet, just as many wondered if inter-German detente would survive the I.N.F. deployment, so, too, many wondered at the nature of the church-state cooperation in the G.D.R., and if it would survive the Luther Year. The present analysis examines the character and direction of this churchstate relationship, using the Luther Year experience as evidence.

Terminal decline in well-being differs between residents in East Germany and West Germany

2016 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Vogel ◽  
Denis Gerstorf ◽  
Nilam Ram ◽  
Jan Goebel ◽  
Gert G. Wagner
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Natural Experiment ◽  
East Germany ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
West Germany ◽  
Individual Development ◽  
Age At Death ◽  
East And West Germany ◽  
East And West

Lifespan research has long been interested in how contexts shape individual development. Using the separation and later reunification of Germany as a kind of natural experiment we examine whether and how living and dying in the former East or West German context has differentially shaped late-life development of well-being. We apply multi-level growth models to annual reports of life satisfaction collected over 20+ years since German reunification from 4,159 deceased participants in the Socio-Economic Panel ( NWest= 3,079, Mage at death = 73.90, 47% women; NEast= 1,080, Mage at death = 72.23, 48% women). We examine differences between East and West Germany in levels, rates of change, and onset of terminal decline in well-being and the role of age at death, gender, education, disability and time spent in reunification. Analyses revealed that West Germans reported higher life satisfaction than East Germans, and that these differences get smaller both with passing time since reunification and in late life. The gap between East and West Germany diminishes over the last 10 years of life by more than 25%. Taking into account key individual characteristics only slightly attenuated this pattern, with education and age at death moderating late-life well-being level and decline in East Germany. Our results are consistent with long-standing notions that contextual factors shape individual development and illustrate the plasticity of human development. After having experienced disadvantages in life circumstances for up to 40 years through living in East Germany, effects of this natural experiment diminish considerably with passing time since reunification.

The Indirectly Political Word of the Church

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael P. DeJonge
Keyword(s):  
Word Type ◽  
Specific Form ◽  
The State ◽  
Jewish Question ◽  
The Political ◽  
The World ◽  
Type 3 ◽  
The Church

This chapter continues the examination of Bonhoeffer’s first phase of resistance through an exposition of “The Church and the Jewish Question,” turning now to the modes of resistance proper to the church’s preaching office. Because such resistance involves the church speaking against the state, it appears to stand in contradiction with Bonhoeffer’s suggestion earlier in the essay that the church should not speak out against the state. This is in fact not a contradiction but rather the coherent expression of the political vision as outlined in the first several chapters of this book, which requires that the church criticize the state under certain circumstances but not others. The specific form of word examined here is the indirectly political word (type 3 resistance) by which the church reminds the messianic state of its mandate to preserve the world with neither “too little” nor “too much” order.

Church and State

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael P. DeJonge
Keyword(s):  
Church And State ◽  
Political Authority ◽  
The State ◽  
Political Life ◽  
The World ◽  
The Church

Chapter 3’s discussion of kingdoms and orders in the context of political life leads naturally into the topic of this chapter: the church, the state, and their relationship. The present chapter locates the state (or, better, political authority in general) in relationship to Chapter 3’s categories by presenting it as one of the orders by which God’s structures the world. It is an important actor in the temporal kingdom, where God has ordained it to preserve the world through law. The church in its essence is an agent of the spiritual kingdom, bearing God’s redemptive word to the world. The themes of preservation and redemption, the kingdoms, and the orders find many of their concrete expressions in themes of the church, the state, and their relationship.

Politische Kultur und Rechtsbewußtsein in Ostdeutschland-Folgen der Diktatur

1995 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 174-187
Author(s):  
Ehrhart Neubert
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
East Germany ◽  
The State ◽  
State Law ◽  
Constitutional State ◽  
Politische Kultur ◽  
State Grants ◽  
Law And Justice ◽  
The Church

Abstract The author examines the consequences of dictatorship upon the conciousness of law and justice in the postsocialist society of East-Germany. This society and even the Church are characterized by a moralizing thinking of justice- according to the German tradition of paternalistic state: the state grants justice and represents community. Ever after theseGermans regard themselves as inferiors, who want to get adjusted into a disciplined order. This leeds to disappointments and radical criticism of the democratic constitutional state. Law is not able to realize ultimatejustice. For the aceptance ofthe constitutional state it will be necessary to restore civil society and overcome a fundamentalistic criticism of civilisation.

scholarly journals Official Reporting of Religious Organizations as a Source of Empirical Data on the Activities of the Church: Some Questions of Theory and Practice of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden

2020 ◽  
pp. 135-145
Author(s):  
O. A. Balabeikina ◽  
N. M. Mezhevich ◽  
A. A. Iankovskaia
Keyword(s):  
Academic Research ◽  
Partial Solution ◽  
The State ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Public Attention ◽  
Reference Case ◽  
Global Trends ◽  
The World ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Church

The relevance of any material offered to the scientific and expert community depends on many factors. Objectively, the presence of this or that issue in the center of public attention has a positive effect on the actualization of this or that article. However, there is an obvious danger. Academic approaches that accidentally find themselves in resonance with global trends can fall victim to political conjuncture. Relevance in this case can fall victim to the political moment. Moreover, this or that topic, being in the center of public discussion, negatively affects the academic understanding of the problem. All this fully relates to the question of the relationship between the state and the church in modern Europe and Russia.A few words about global trends. Their essence boils down to the growing confrontation between supporters of new ideological approaches and traditionalists, among whom are many adherents.The relationship between religion and the state testifies to the fact that states and societies have not yet learned to draw an effective line between their interests and those of adherents. This fact presupposes careful state and public participation in the affairs of the church. However, acknowledging this circumstance is not enough. The state must clearly know what, where and how is happening in the church sphere of the life of society in cases where church affairs can affect public and state security.It is also known that almost all the leading churches, to a greater or lesser extent, provide official reporting to the state. However, working with this reporting, its scientific analysis is not always representative.Objective. The presented article is aimed at a partial solution of the problem of increasing the effectiveness of academic research of the church` activities. Moreover, it is made based on official church statistics.The author’s position is the following. States and societies have no right to let go of this vital sphere of life. The functions of the state, in this case, are at least controlling. The ineffective execution of its functions by the state can be revealed in many countries of the world. The situation in France is nothing more than a reference case of a problem that, to one degree or another, exists in most of the countries of the world, which are distinguished by ethnic and confessional heterogeneity.

Geschlechtsspezifische Ost-West-Unterschiede im Erwerbsverlauf

2020 ◽  
Vol 69 (6-7) ◽  
pp. 445-466
Author(s):  
Dana Müller ◽  
Michaela Fuchs
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
East Germany ◽  
West Germany ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
East And West Germany ◽  
Career Opportunities ◽  
Gender Specific Differences ◽  
East And West ◽  
Gender Specific

Zusammenfassung Dieser Beitrag beschreibt die Entwicklung geschlechtsspezifischer Ungleichheiten über die letzten drei Jahrzehnte in Ost- und Westdeutschland. Unterschiede zwischen beiden Regionen bestehen nach wie vor. Sie haben ihren Ursprung in den verschiedenen gesellschaftlichen Ansätzen der Gleichstellung der Geschlechter vor der Wiedervereinigung und den unterschiedlichen strukturellen Gegebenheiten am Arbeitsmarkt. Dennoch besitzen nach wie vor weder die Frauen in Westdeutschland noch in Ostdeutschland die gleichen Einkommens- und Karrierechancen wie Männer. Die Bemühungen des Staates, den Abbau geschlechtsspezifischer Ungleichheiten voranzutreiben, werden anhand der zahlreichen Maßnahmen der letzten Jahre sichtbar. Sie reichen aber noch nicht aus, wie die Zahlen im Beitrag zeigen. Abstract: Gender-specific Differences on the Labour Market in East and West Germany This article describes the development of gender inequalities over the last three decades in East and West Germany. There are still differences between the two regions. They have their origin in the different social concepts to gender equality before reunification and the different structural conditions on the labour market. Nevertheless, not only women in West Germany but also in East Germany still do not have the same income and career opportunities as men. The state’s efforts to promote the reduction of gender-specific inequalities are evident from the numerous measures taken in recent years. However, they are not yet sufficient.

scholarly journals The Separation and Reunification of Germany: Rethinking a Natural Experiment Interpretation of the Enduring Effects of Communism

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sascha O. Becker ◽  
Lukas Mergele ◽  
Ludger Woessmann
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
Natural Experiment ◽  
West Germany ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
World War ◽  
East And West Germany ◽  
Cautious Interpretation ◽  
East And West ◽  
And Gender ◽  
And Control

German separation in 1949 into a communist East and a capitalist West and their reunification in 1990 are commonly described as a natural experiment to study the enduring effects of communism. We show in three steps that the populations in East and West Germany were far from being randomly selected treatment and control groups. First, the later border is already visible in many socio-economic characteristics in pre-World War II data. Second, World War II and the subsequent occupying forces affected East and West differently. Third, a selective fifth of the population fled from East to West Germany before the building of the Wall in 1961. In light of our findings, we propose a more cautious interpretation of the extensive literature on the enduring effects of communist systems on economic outcomes, political preferences, cultural traits, and gender roles.

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