Christian fraternity

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Corpus Christi procession in Munich with student associations

Christian fraternities are in Central Europe and in some other countries Christian-oriented student organizations in which aspects are the Christian value orientation and practice of faith in the center of their community life. Although the first association of this kind, the Uttenruthia Erlangen , was founded in 1836, most of them only emerged in the second half of the 19th century or in the 20th century. The oldest umbrella organization of Christian student associations is the Wingolfsbund , which was founded in Schleiz in 1844 .

features

Christian faith

Pauluskirche zu Halle on a color map of the Halle Wingolf

A few Christian student associations only require their members to be prepared to deal with the Christian faith and values. Most of them, however, insist on baptism as a clear act of professing Christianity . In some connections baptism is a prerequisite for entry ( reception ), in others it must have taken place up to the fraternity or philistration . Christian student associations only rarely see themselves as associations with a missionary mandate, but of course they represent the mandate of Jesus to introduce people to the Gospel (→ mission order ).

Postage stamp for the 100th Cartel Assembly of the CV

During its founding period (1830–1880) in particular, most of the members were theology students , but even today some Christian corporations maintain this legacy through theological colloquiums and seminars. Several important theologians and churchmen come from the ranks of the Christian student associations, for example Adolf von Harnack , Albrecht Ritschl , Paul Tillich , Reinhard Marx , Józef Bilczewski and Joseph Ratzinger, today ex-Pope Benedict XVI.

Institutes (i.e. events of the semester program) with Christian content take place in everyday life. Regular attendance at church services, at least before or after the pub , is common. There are also Christian themed evenings, Bible evenings or retreats . Since its founding, Wingolf has produced its own interdenominational form of devotion - the solemn celebration  - which is held in front of every official pub.

Denomination

The largest umbrella organization of Christian student associations is the Cartell Association of Catholic German Student Associations (CV), its members must be baptized Catholics. The Cartel Association of Catholic German Student Associations (KV) has opened itself up to members of other denominations in recent years, although it is by nature Roman Catholic . The Wingolfsbund and the Schwarzburgbund are genuinely non-denominational ( ecumenical ) by tradition, but especially in the early years strongly Protestant . Purely Protestant (evangelical) connections are very rare. The list below follows the respective association statutes.

Aktivitas of the Giessen Wingolf 1863

Rejection of the scale length

All Christian student associations have in common the rejection of duels and mensur . The associated ideas of honor and satisfaction are rejected. In place of the defendable honor of the person, there is the sole honor of God. The Christian faith knows man only as a counterpart to God, who is endowed by him with inviolable dignity .

Position in the connecting landscape

The relationship with the successful student union was clouded again and again by the disputes over the duel and scale question. In the end, however, the vast majority of disputes could be settled , for example through the Würzburg declaration of unification . After the Second World War , the status of the student finally lost its nimbus and the ubiquitous importance of the ability to be satisfied in the military, administration, state and society completely disappeared. Therefore the scaling question today is above all a question of one's own taste and value orientation. Nonetheless, some striking connections still look down mockingly at the "bible thugs" . Members of Christian fraternities sometimes disparagingly refer to members of hitting fraternities as "slicers" . Members of Christian student associations are also less often referred to as prayer or Bible boxes.

Most of the Christian student associations have full colors , others describe themselves as colored or non-colored.

Many Christian fraternities are familiar with the principle of moderation , which encourages members to drink sensibly and which also influences many other areas of student life. This “principle” has its starting point in the original rejection of the newly established Christian student union against the generally accepted student drinking culture in the first half of the 19th century. The oldest Christian student association, the Uttenruthia Erlangen , on the other hand, placed value on moderate drinking and pubs . To this day, the principle of moderation is a central component of the statutes or the commentary of many Wingolf associations .

List of umbrella organizations of Christian student associations

Catholic umbrella organizations

Purely Catholic umbrella organizations

Other Catholic umbrella organizations

Catholic umbrella organizations are listed here, which have also opened up to various degrees for members of other Christian denominations.

Protestant umbrella organizations

Ecumenical umbrella organizations

As an amalgamation of several umbrella organizations and individual associations:

See also

literature

  • Robert Jauch OFM: The principle of "religion" of Catholic student and academic associations with special consideration of the post-conciliar development at the Cartel Association of Catholic German Student Associations (KV) . Archives Association d. Markomannia, Würzburg 1986, ISBN 3-923621-14-0 .
  • Thomas Mayer: Catholic color students in the Kulturkampf. Stein am Rhein 2003, ISBN 3-7171-1105-1 .
  • Verband Alter Wingolfiten Hrsg .: History of Wingolfs 1830–1994. 5th edition. Manfred Wieltsch et al., Detmold 1998, OCLC 174444731

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