Theology Compromised

Schleiermacher, Troeltsch, and the Possibility of a Sociological Theology

Matthew Ryan Robinson and Evan F. Kuehn

Theological work, whatever else it may be, is always a reflection on social transformations. Not only pastors but also theologians work with the sources of the Christian traditions in one hand and a newspaper in the other. But how are we to understand the relationship between social transformations and the continuously “compromised” development of Christian ideals, as these are measured by doctrinal formulations? And how might a more deeply sociological perspective on this relationship inform theological work?

Matthew Ryan Robinson and Evan F. Kuehn approach this question, not by reconstructing a history of ideas, but rather by telling a story about the development of churches and theological institutions. They take the turbulent and dynamic ecclesiological situation of nineteenth-century Germany as a representative case, focusing on the sociological methodological orientation of Friedrich Schleiermacher and Ernst Troeltsch in the context of the rise of theological liberalism, the history of religions, and the German churches’ confrontation with social and political challenges. Robinson and Kuehn then connect this orientation with the sociology of religion of Hans Joas and Niklas Luhmann, arguing for a functional focus in theological research on what doctrines do rather than what the reality behind or in any particular doctrine is.

Lexington Books / Fortress Academic

Pages: 160 • Trim: 6 x 9

978-1-9787-0408-4 • Hardback • October 2019 • $111.00 • (£85.00)

978-1-9787-0409-1 • eBook • October 2019 • $105.50 • (£82.00)

Subjects: Religion / Christian Theology / History, Religion / Christian Theology / Systematic, Social Science / Sociology of Religion

Theology Compromised

Schleiermacher, Troeltsch, and the Possibility of a Sociological Theology

Hardback

eBook

Summary

Theological work, whatever else it may be, is always a reflection on social transformations. Not only pastors but also theologians work with the sources of the Christian traditions in one hand and a newspaper in the other. But how are we to understand the relationship between social transformations and the continuously “compromised” development of Christian ideals, as these are measured by doctrinal formulations? And how might a more deeply sociological perspective on this relationship inform theological work?

Matthew Ryan Robinson and Evan F. Kuehn approach this question, not by reconstructing a history of ideas, but rather by telling a story about the development of churches and theological institutions. They take the turbulent and dynamic ecclesiological situation of nineteenth-century Germany as a representative case, focusing on the sociological methodological orientation of Friedrich Schleiermacher and Ernst Troeltsch in the context of the rise of theological liberalism, the history of religions, and the German churches’ confrontation with social and political challenges. Robinson and Kuehn then connect this orientation with the sociology of religion of Hans Joas and Niklas Luhmann, arguing for a functional focus in theological research on what doctrines do rather than what the reality behind or in any particular doctrine is.

Details

Lexington Books / Fortress Academic

Pages: 160 • Trim: 6 x 9

978-1-9787-0408-4 • Hardback • October 2019 • $111.00 • (£85.00)

978-1-9787-0409-1 • eBook • October 2019 • $105.50 • (£82.00)

Subjects: Religion / Christian Theology / History, Religion / Christian Theology / Systematic, Social Science / Sociology of Religion

Author

Matthew Ryan Robinson is a research associate in the Protestant Theological Faculty of Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn.

Evan F. Kuehn is theological librarian and adjunct lecturer in philosophy at Trinity International University.

Table of Contents

Part I – Doing Theology: A Different Theological History

Chapter 1 – From Friedrich Schleiermacher to Friedrich Naumann: How Systematic Theology and Social Formation Mutually Respond to and Produce One Another

Chapter 2 – Troeltsch on (Concepts of) the Church

Chapter 3 – Troeltsch’s Theory of Compromise

Chapter 4 – Troeltsch and the Politics of Compromise

Part II – Contemporary Models

Chapter 5 – Hans Joas on Troeltsch, Transcendence, and the Formation of Values

Chapter 6 – Niklas Luhmann and Religious Community under Conditions of Modernity

Conclusion

Bibliography

Appendix – Translation

Translator’s Note

Foreword to the Book Schleiermacher, Philosopher of (the) Faith, by Friedrich Naumann

“Schleiermacher and the Church,” by Ernst Troeltsch

Reviews

Theology Compromised: Schleiermacher, Troeltsch, and the Possibility of a Sociological Theology, by Matthew Ryan Robinson and Evan F. Kuehn, is a gem of a book—small, finely crafted, and valuable. This book should inform any discussions of theological method in both precincts favorable and hostile to theology. It provides a powerful, if underdeveloped, paradigm for theological reflection with both historical sanction and reasoned justification.

— Reading Religion

How relevant is sociology for a theological understanding of church and doctrine? This provocative little book offers a new perspective on Schleiermacher and Troeltsch by connecting their contributions to contemporary social theory.
— Hans Joas, Humboldt University of Berlin

At least since the 1990s, theologians have been suspicious of sociology and social theory. Yet in this short and striking book, Matthew Ryan Robinson and Evan F. Kuehn revive what they view as the sociological heartbeat of all theology, presenting Ernst Troeltsch as the pacemaker who has kept it going from the past to the present. Required reading for anyone interested in theological methodology.
— Ulrich Schmiedel, University of Edinburgh

For the innovative (and much misunderstood) turn-of-the-century German theologian, Ernst Troeltsch (1865-1923), 'compromise' in theology did not mean 'selling out' to contemporary cultural mores, but sensitively and critically assessing how the Christian tradition, in all its complexity, could best respond prophetically to the pressing questions of the day. Moreover, it could not do this, according to Troeltsch, without understanding its own particular social and political locations, and the pressures arising from them. It is a pleasure to see this crucial element in Troeltsch's thinking assessed afresh for today in this book by Robinson and Kuehn, and particularly to have available for the first time in English Troeltsch's uniquely important essay on the social theology of Schleiermacher. In a growth period for new 'political theologies' in the West, Troeltsch's historic insights repay new reflection.
— Sarah Coakley, FBA (Cambridge and St Andrews Universities)

Sociology and social theory are without a doubt constitutive for the understanding of the Christian faith, its dogmatic concepts and narratives and its everyday practice. Hence, it is the outstanding and innovative achievement of Robinson and Kuehn to offer their excellent expertise on Schleiermacher and Troeltsch not only for their historical understanding but to open highly innovative perspectives on our ongoing cultural, social, and political transitions.
— Cornelia Richter, University of Bonn