Trauer und Angst in Freude und Hoffnung transformieren. Zum Beitrag der Praktischen Theologie im Kontext von Flucht und Migration

Abstract

Emotions play an eminent role in the current societal and political debates about flight and migration. Framed by racist and right-wing populist politics, these emotions become threatening factors within the search for solutions of the so called refugee-crisis since summer 2015. At the same time one can find an overwhelming engagement for refugees in civil society. The article asks for the contribution of practical theology in this context. The importance of “the joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age” (GS 1), the Second Vaticanum gives to these moods is the starting point of an interdisciplinary reflection, what could be the practical and theoretical benefit of a theological intellectuality asking for ways to transform human emotions into spiritual moods, attitudes and ethics. By referring to results of social science the author paintsamultifaceted picture of the challenges in Europe in the context of flight and migration. Afterwards, she discusses aspects of a biblical Theology of migration to show how these could offer new perspectives on perceiving the current historicalmoment and also find possibilities to act: How can the anxieties of Europeans be transformed into hope by theological thinking? What are the reasons for joys and hopes?And could they have relevancealso for a secular society?