(Not) at home in the world? – Implicit modelings of home(s) in 20th and 21st century Protestant theological discourse

“For our abiding is in Heaven” (Phil 3,20). It appears, Christianity moves the question of home towards the hereafter. However, at the same time, exaggeration and sacralisation of earthly homes can be observed, in the name of (Christian) religion. Must the church offer home, but on the other hand, where is the church at home?

A06 poses these questions not by itself but also in the context of current challenges (Right-wing populism, migration, secularisation). Starting with analysis of very different Protestant theologies, ecclesiastical self-location and hymns, both, implicit and explicit modelings of home(s) will be examined and extrapolated. As part of this effort, different vectors of being at home will be reconstructed: e.g. cosmological, political and eschatological modes. Building on this, figurations of being at home – such as the pilgrim (moving away from home) or the pioneer (home building) – will become tangible as concrete forms of being at home, fruitful for current and future questions of orientation and will be critically discussed. Finally, in comparison with other subprojects, the mutual influence of religious and secular discourse surrounding home(s) can be unearthed and illustrated.