Queer in the rectory: the pastoral-theological relevance of non-heteronormative life forms of pastors

研究项目“教区内的酷儿：牧师非异性恋性生命形式的牧神相关性”研究了酷儿(这里：酷儿=偏离异性恋者要求)牧者在培训和职业生活中与生活形式相关的经历与牧民身份工作之间的相互关系。在我们的背景下，“身份认同工作”最初可以被理解为一个终生的神学反思和牧民行动的过程。该项目的起点之一是C·斯威夫特在英国进行的一项研究。据观察，有相当多的牧师没有按照基督教生活方式的规范生活，即异性婚姻，这在神学和教会中一直被宣传到现在，在他们或多或少由于他们的生活方式而自愿离开教区事工后，他们在卫生保健牧师(和其他职能)中担任了一个职位(参看。SWIFT 2014,155 F。)到目前为止，还没有对德国进行相应的研究。与牧师的非正式对话表明，在受训和教区事工中拥有非异性生活形式的牧师特别需要向自己和他人证明自己的生活方式是合理的。因此，该项目侧重于以下问题：在牧师传记中形成的生命形式的多元化是否以及如何对思考和行动的神学实践产生了影响：牧师的个人神学以及牧区神学的自尊和自我理解。该项目在两个子项目中有两个研究分支：在实证研究项目中(由研究助理完成)，数据通过定性访谈(专家访谈)收集，通过文献方法进行评估，并反映在牧区神学中。部分访谈将在第二个子项目(项目经理)中编辑和出版，作为访谈卷的一部分，与专家论文一起，向实践神学介绍“生命形式”这一主题。一次讲习班和一次国际会议确保将这一专题转化为国际和跨学科的科学论述。通过社交媒体(新地1+2)定期和最新申请该项目，旨在向公众传递该项目及其调查结果。

The research project "Queer in the rectory: the pastoral-theological relevance of non-heteronormative life forms of pastors" studies interrelations between life-form-related experiences of queer (here: queer = deviating from heteronormative requirements) pastors in training and professional life, and pastoral identity work. In our context “identity work“ can initially be understood as a lifelong process of theological reflection and pastoral action. Starting point for the project is, among others, a British study done by C. Swift. It was observed that a remarkably large number of pastors who do not live according to the norms of Christian lifestyle, i. e. heterosexual marriage, which have been propagated in theology and church up to now, took a position within health care chaplaincy (and other functions) after they left parish ministry more or less voluntarily due to their lifestyle (cf. Swift 2014, 155f.). To date, no corresponding studies have been carried out for Germany. Informal conversations with pastors indicate that pastors with non-heterosexual life forms in training and in the parish ministry are particularly challenged to justify their lifestyle to themselves and to others. Accordingly, the project focuses on the question of whether and how the pluralization of life forms, which has taken shape in pastors' biographies, has had an impact on theological practice of reflection and action: individual theology of pastors as well as pastoral-theological self-regard and self-understanding. The project has two arms of research in two sub-projects: in an empirical research project (done by research assistant), data are collected by qualitative interviews (expert interviews), evaluated by documentary method and reflected on in pastoral theology. Parts of the interviews will be edited and published in the second sub-project (project manager) as part of an interview volume together with expert essays, introducing the topic “life forms” to Practical Theology. A workshop and an international conference ensure the transfer of the topic into the international and interdisciplinary scientific discourse. A regular and up-to-date application of the project through social media contributions (SHK1 + 2) aims to transfer the project and its findings to the public.