Osmund Schreuder

Osmund Schreuder (born December 11, 1925 , † July 31, 2006 ) was a Dutch religious and cultural sociologist.

Life

Osmund Schreuder first studied Catholic theology, became a priest and Franciscan priest , then studied sociology with a focus on the sociology of religion . He completed his habilitation with a forward-looking thesis on "Church in the Suburb" (1962). He determined the empirical data for this in the Frankfurt / Main area. During this time he was a research assistant at the Sociographic Institute at the University of Frankfurt / Main. A few years later he was given a full professorship at the University of Nijmegen in the Netherlands, but maintained close contacts with German sociology. He resigned from the Franciscan order and was laicized. He married Helene geb. Dorn and lived in Kleve until his death on July 31, 2006.

Theory of sociology of religion

In his sociology of religion, Schreuder applies the structural-functional theory according to Talcott Parsons to the social systems of church and community and, in an action-oriented manner, points to structural and functional requirements of church and parish. It is based on the "official expectation system" that underlies church and community life. On the basis of organizational sociological system-goal reflection, Schreuder strives for a community reform. He sees community reform as a basic democratic process. Despite his theological studies, Schreuder sees himself as a sociologist only and thus risks criticism from theologians, who in some cases accuse him of excluding the theological dimension of church and congregation. Schreuder was one of the most stimulating and progressive church and religious sociologists after the 2nd Vatican Council. His book "Kirche im Vorort" can still be seen as the basis for empirical church and sermon research. He received public honors primarily through his acceptance into the order of the Knights van de Nederlandse Leeuw .

Works

• A sociological concept of direction in the parish. In: Social Compass. Jg. 6 (1959), H. 6, pp. 177-203.
• Church in the suburb. Sociological exploration of a parish. Freiburg i.Br .: Herder 1962.
• The structural-functional theory and the sociology of religion. In: International Yearbook for the Sociology of Religion. Vol. 2: Theoretical Aspects of the Sociology of Religion I. Cologne a. Opladen 1966.
• Change of shape of the church. Olten and Freiburg: Verlag Walter 1967.
• Community reform - grassroots process. With statements from Eugen Walter and Winfried Kramny. Freiburg i. Br .: Herder 1970.
• The alarming trend. Results of a survey of the entire Dutch clergy. With a pastoral theological reflection. Mainz: Grünewald 1970.
• together with Jan Hutjes: priest for birth control. Mainz: Kaiser + Grünewald 1972.
• From the Volkskirche to the Voluntary Church. Darg. using the example of the Netherlands. In: KZG, Vol. 8 (1995), pp. 182-197.

literature

• Matthes, Joachim: Church and Society. Introduction to the Sociology of Religion II. Reinbek b. Hamburg: Rowohlt 1968.

Web links

• Literature by and about Osmund Schreuder in the catalog of the German National Library