Abstract

Friedrich Wilhelm Graf attends to questions of the role and function of theology and churches in the former DDR. Current and short-winded theological-political paradigms are in his opinion too little useful to reflect upon and clear up the meanwhile historical period of»Kirche im Sozialismus«. Graf discusses the remarkable affirmation of streams of theology towards socialism. Dealing with this topic from an historical point of view begins in the early nineteeth century, precicely: in the attitude of social-romantic anticapitalism. This view pointsout a surprising line of continuity, which Ieads to the theological approval of socialism in the former DDR-churches.