Abstract
Religion has become a highly ambivalent phenomenon in late modernity. For some, it is a lasting resource for meaning, even in a highly ideologically plural society. For others, it belongs in the private sphere, not in the public sphere. What both would probably share, however, is the assumption that a state religion would be in contradiction to the promises of freedom and autonomy of modernity. But where is the place of religion in a democratic society? The text discusses this highly complex question in an examination of two theories that have shaped debates in the field like few others. From this discussion, further perspectives for a theologically founded position that is responsible in terms of democratic theory are given in conclusion.
Highlights
A dispute has broken out in Germany: It is about whether religious symbols belong in the public sphere
Muslim civil servants and teachers have repeatedly been forbidden to wear a headscarf as a religious symbol during lessons
In Germany, this ideological neutrality means that religions and religious symbols such as the cross may only be hanging up in state institutions such as courts or schools if no one complains
Summary
A dispute has broken out in Germany: It is about whether religious symbols belong in the public sphere. In Germany, this ideological neutrality means that religions and religious symbols such as the cross may only be hanging up in state institutions such as courts or schools if no one complains. This story is an impressive example of a very fundamental problem: the relationship between state and religion is still highly controversial In a third part we will briefly expose our own perspective
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