“Awakening” or “breakdown”?Catholic Theology and the Student Movement of 1968

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Many Catholics perceived the year 1968 as a break for their religiosity and their Church. But how exactly did different forms of being Catholic and the 1968 movement relate to each other? And which role did Catholic theology play in this? The sub-project will approach these questions in two ways.On the one hand, it is dedicated to the 1968 experiences of Hans Küng and Joseph Ratzinger. These two outstanding representatives of their discipline are exemplary for the break-up of the “progressive” faction at the Second Vatican Council; at the same time, their lives are closely linked with each other. On the other hand, the fundamental turn in moral theology of 1968 will be addressed. For this purpose, applying discourse-analytical methods two representatives of this discipline are taken into account, whose works strongly related to each other as well: Alfons Auer and Bernhard Stoeckle.Theology around 1968 is a highly fascinating object of study. As the “faith’s own thinking project” (Ratschow) the discipline is an elementary component of various forms of being Catholic. Additionally, 1968 marks a culmination point within the fundamental upheavals studied in the overall project. Furthermore, the developments within theology were also highly relevant for society as a whole. Many theologians were not least concerned with the “relationship towards the world”, with charitable, educational, peace and environmental policy or ecumenical commitment.Around 1968 the discipline also developed into a new “leading science” for many people. Theologians set offers of meaning, horizons of interpretation, possibilities of distinction and patterns of action, also in the sense of “doing emotion”. As never before or afterwards, they were in demand for social debates, while their works became bestsellers. With regard to new forms of being Catholic, they had a discourse-structuring and community-building effect.Meanwhile, the reception of the Council entered its decisive phase and overlapped with the student protests in many ways. At the same time, theology was transformed by new institutional frameworks and the increasing influence of women and laymen. The student protests also spread to the theological faculties, while the encyclical “Humanae vitae” sparked public protests against Church authorities. These were new to the repertoire of practiced Catholicism. The shaking of the institutions also involved the transformation of theological semantics, new questions and changed premises.Finally, with a view to 1968, the emotional dichotomy of hopes and fears, which can be recognized along lines of conflict that exist until today, is conspicuous. They do not only affect the discipline, but the restructuration of variants of being Catholic in general.