Faith Matters: The Church Program

The first acute phase of the pandemic, in March 2020, resulted in a number of tragic deaths in German hospitals and senior citizens’ residences. To prevent new infections all visits from outsiders were prohibited. People died alone. Families were not permitted to see their relatives, and clergy were often not admitted to console the dying.

Running a monastery these days includes having good business sense. Plankstetten Abbey, in Bavaria, has a community of only twelve brothers, but the monastery is thriving. St Benedict’s motto was "Pray and Work.” Between prayers, these Benedictine monks run a highly successful organic farm.

Stefanie and Ellen Radtke are the Youtube stars of Germany’s Lutheran Church. The two female pastors from Eime, in the state of Lower Saxony, are a same-sex couple. With their Youtube channel "Anders Amen,” which roughly translates as "Different, amen,” they’ve always been controversial ministers. Their aim is to reconcile LGBTQ people and the church.

Wine cultivation is a continuous thread running through both the Jewish and Christian scriptures. No plant is mentioned more times in the Bible than the grape and its products. So it’s hardly surprising that wine is an important symbol for Christians.

Far-right vigilantes have become a familiar sight in many German cities in recent years. They claim to be maintaining law and order, but in reality they are striking fear into the hearts of law-abiding residents.

The internationally acclaimed Berlin Radio Choir has joined forces with American theater director and visual artist Robert Wilson for a production that marries Martin Luther’s writings and translations with the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Wilson’s image theater conjures both anxiety and hope in a timeless statement that places Luther among the great thinkers of history.

NoonSong has been called “thirty minutes of heaven.” A choral concert but also a church service. Every Saturday, NoonSong features beautiful a cappella singing from centuries of sacred Christian music by the vocal ensemble ‘sirventes berlin’.

Religions for Peace (RfP) is an association of people representing members of diverse religions in more than 100 countries. This independent organization is committed to mediating in religious conflicts worldwide. RfP will be fifty-years-old in 2020. The endeavors of these women is only now receiving international recognition.

It started half a century ago with a campaign to provide vocational training for young Brazilians. Today the Catholic social services association Kolping International is a worldwide network with some 400,000 members in more than 60 countries.

Burial sites in all cultures speak loudly of the prevailing values and beliefs of the societies that design them. Germany’s cemetery culture is unique. But it is currently changing. Many Germans are no longer choosing the time-honored cemetery for their final resting place; more and more people are seeking alternatives to the traditional family grave.