Ecclesiastical Acting Beyond the Parish. A practical-theological theory of specialized ministries

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The project develops a practical-theological theory of specialized ministries as a form of ecclesiastical organization, which is – thus far – a research gap in practical-theological theory formation. At first, the project empirically examines which areas of work are currently subsumed under the term “specialized ministries” in the Protestant state churches (in German there are the three terms "Dienste", "Werke" and "Einrichtungen"). The project then maps out the complex genesis of these organizational forms and contrasts them with theoretical considerations regarding the "Third sector" to achieve a deeper understanding of specialized ministries. Then a theological foundation of those forms of ecclesiastical acting is worked out. Based on this work, an ecclesiastical foundation of this constitutional logic regarding these church organizations will be developed.