Perspectief 2014-26

Perspectief 22 prof. dr. Henk Bakker culture nowadays may be qualified as a ‘culture of shining’ or a culture of expressive individualism or even a culture of expressive materialism. 4 Ours is a culture in which the individual wishes to show the world its symbols, especially the symbols of success, beauty and style. Therefore commitments, even in the church, will always be commitments that go along with expectations of the Western self. Shared expectations presume a thick community. Probably we, as churches, should readjust to the present situation and presume more of a thin community, a community with many private expectations about life style, meaningful relations, and aesthetic imagination. Collective ideals in a country like the Netherlands, agreed on by almost everyone at the same time, are simply beyond reach. I do not recommend to settle for individualism, and to yield to the dominant culture of shining, even in the church, but I do believe that we should not underestimate the lasting gift of catholicity of Christ to the church. For a long time this gift may seem to be absent, even obsolete. Yet, it is there, in a concealed way, as a mystery hidden in the many complexities of the world. Karl Barth refers extensively to what he describes as ‘eine ontlogische Unmöglichkeit’, 5 namely that the unity of the synagogue and the church (the very root of Christ’s body) is disrupted, and that ever since the identity and the self- understanding of the church have been in dispute. However, because the mystery of the church is the mystery of its Lord Jesus Christ, the church works its way to unity in faith and hope. The gift of catholicity is not at her disposal, 6 and it is up to Christ to express it, or to conceal it for the time being, under divine rule. Still, as with Christ himself, it is always there, even in a concealed way. 7 4 See Hanneke Schaap-Jonker, ‘Ik geloof in mezelf: Religie, spiritualiteit in een uitblinkcultuur,’ Nederlands Theologisch Tijdschrift 66/4 (2012), 253-265, and Hessel Zondag, ‘Terugverlangen naar traditie’, in Rein Nauta (red.), Vreemd! Varianten van verscheidenheid en verschil in godsdienst en kerk (Publiekslezingen Departement Religiewetenschappen en Theologie Tilburg; Nijmegen: Valkhof Pers, 2009) 83-107. 5 Barth, Kirchliche Dogmatik IV,1 749, 756. 6 Barth, Kirchliche Dogmatik IV,1 793: ‘es steht mit der Katholizität und also mit der Wahrheit der Christlichkeit der christlichen Gemeinde objektiv nicht anders als mit deren Einheit und Heiligkeit: die Kirche hat keine Verfügung über sie’. 7 Unity in salvation history has more of a mystery than of a clarity, see for example Ezech. 37:15- 19; John 10:16 and 17:20-23; Rom 11:25-26; Eph. 2:15-16; 3:3-6; 4:3-6; Rev. 7:4, 9.