Zum Wort der Kirche zur wirtschaftlichen und sozialen Lage in Deutschland

Homeyer Josef, Hax Herbert and Habisch André
Additional contact information
Homeyer Josef: Bischof von Hildesheim Domhof 25, D - 31134 Hildesheim
Hax Herbert: Dr. h.c. Universität zu Köln Seminar fiir Allgemeine Betriebswirtschaftslehre und Finanzierungslehre Universitätsstraße 77 50931 Köln
Habisch André: Dipl.-Volksw. Kolkrabenweg 9, D -12351 Berlin

Zeitschrift für Wirtschaftspolitik, 1997, vol. 46, issue 3, 341-378

Abstract: This economic policy forum is assigned to the position of the church on the economic and political situation in Germany. Bishop Joseph Homeyer presents the origin, content and intention of the position of the church, in order to illustrate how the two German churches, the catholic and the protestant, perceive their social and political responsibility. Homeyer shows that the churches launched a process of consultation where all groups of the society were invited to present their positions. In a second step the churches analysed three major challenges: mass unemployment, the crisis of the social state and globalisation. Based on this analysis a consens on four issues has been considered to be crucial for the future society: 1) both freedom and personal responsibility are important, 2) economic competition needs to take into account social and ecological aspects, 3) solidarity and justice require a fair distribution of burdens and 4) the principle of subsidiarity has to be properly implemented. Herbert Hax criticizes the position of the church by focusing on three issues: 1) the definition of poverty, 2) the remarks on social and family policy and 3) the propositions on reducing unemployment. On the issue of poverty, Hax questions the criteria used for defining poverty. He argues that they are rather relative and therefore more appropriate to define ineqality. However he considers inequality to be necessary as an incentive for performance. Although the churches stress the principle of solidarity it seems that their demands concerning familiy policy contradict this principle. On unemployment the author rather doubts whether the propositions made by the churches will solve the problem of high unemployment. André Habisch analyses the position of the church from a historical perspective. He argues that traditionally the church in Germany has had a rather sceptical view on the performance of markets. This is due to its role as an institution that feels responsible for poor and weak people. However, by looking at the position of the church in more detail, one can notice that the church supports the social market economy as a model for the future. Also on globalisation the church is not as negative as one might think. Both risks and chances are assessed by them. Although some particular positions of the church deserve to be criticized, overall the author agrees with the church in adding an ethic dimension to the economic analysis.

Date: 1997
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DOI: 10.1515/zfwp-1997-0307

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