Gestaltung der Liturgie in Landeskirchlichen Gemeinschaften.

Abstract

Together, the "Landeskirchlichen Gemeinschaften" forms the largest free reform move-ment within the Evangelical Church in Germany. In recent decades a change in worship gatherings has taken place in many of these communities. Independent worship services developed from the complementary gatherings, which at first were meant to be extensions of the Church's Sunday worship services. These services, held in free form and without orders of worship, now have become a substitute for the 'normal' church service. The 'creative freedom' also brings disadvantages, as unreflective processes tend to foster rigid orders of service. Because of a conscious separation from the church services of the mainstream church, important liturgical actions as well as elements of the Church Year could be omitted. This dissertation aims to study from various perspectives the possibilities for enriching worship in the "Landeskirchliche Gemeinschaften". From literature in liturgical studies, in the first place from the sphere of the Evangelical Church in Germany, but also from the free churches in Germany, the fundamental Reformatory insights for worship and the litur-gy are discussed and evaluated. On the basis of these findings, well-founded suggestions for the design of services in Landeskirchlichen communities are made. Possibilities for enrichment through careful planning are identified for those responsible for the respective services.