Eesti Evangeelne Luterlik Kirik aastatel 1991–2015 – muutused, identiteet ja teoloogilised hoiakud
Date
2024-10-22
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Abstract
Eesti on tuntud kui üks kõige sekulaarsemaid ehk ilmalikumaid riike Euroopas. See tähendab, et organiseeritud religioonil – eelkõige just kristlusel – on inimeste elus väike roll. Eri kirikutesse ja konfessioonidesse kuulub hinnanguliselt umbes neljandik Eesti elanikkonnast, aktiivsete kirikuskäijate arv on veelgi väiksem.
Teisalt ei saa Eesti elanikke pidada sugugi vähereligioosseteks, kes usuküsimuste vastu üldse huvi ei tunne. Eestlaste religioossus väljendub lihtsalt erinevates vormides väljaspool institutsionaalse religiooni piire.
Milline on olnud sellistes muutustes kirikute positsioon? Kuidas on kirikud tulnud toime liikmeskonna kahanemise ja inimeste religioossuse teisenemisega? Millised on olnud sellega seoses teoloogiliste rõhuasetuste muutused vaimulike seas ja millised teoloogilised suundumused on kõige enam esile pääsenud ja kiriku arengut mõjutanud?
Käesolev doktoritöö uurib Eesti Evangeelset Luterlikku Kirikut (EELK) aastatel 1991–2015. Käsitletakse muutusi liikmeskonna ja vaimulike seas, aga samuti luterlikku identiteeti, erinevaid vagaduslaade, kirikumudeleid ning EELK vahekorda ühiskonna ja riigiga.
Kuigi kirikute liikmeskond kahaneb kõikjal Euroopas, sest inimeste religioossus ei vaja tänapäeval enam kiriklikku määratlemist, on kristlikud väärtused ja traditsioonid siiski veel olulised, ning seetõttu on nendega seonduv konservatiivsus kirikutele abiks liikmeskonna kahanemisega seotud muutustega toime tulemisel. Nõnda on ka EELK hakanud tugevamalt toetama konservatiivseid ja traditsioonilisi väärtusi ühiskonnas.
Teoloogilistest vagaduslaadidest on kiriku juhtimises enam esile pääsenud kõrgkiriklik suund, mis lisaks jumalateenistuse korra uuendamisele on oluliseks pidanud kirikliku struktuuri ümberkorraldamist ja vaimuliku autoriteedi tõstmist.
EELK ühiskondlik tähtsus ja roll on tänaseks päevaks marginaliseerunud: see ei ole enam normiks, vaid alternatiiviks. Senisest vabast rahvakirikust on saanud üks kirik teiste seas, mis ühiskonna eri osapoolte ühendamise ja lepitamise asemel on valinud konservatiivsete väärtuste esindamise tee. See on aga omakorda kaasa toonud suurema vastuolu ja vastandumise sekulariseerunud ühiskonnaga.
Estonia is known as one of the most secular countries in Europe. This means that organized religion – Christianity in particular – plays little role in people's lives. It is estimated that about a quarter of the Estonian population belongs to different churches and denominations, and the number of active churchgoers is even smaller. On the other hand, the Estonian population can by no means be regarded as not religious, with no interest in religious matters at all. Estonians' religiosity simply manifests itself in various forms outside the boundaries of institutional religion. What has been the position of the churches in such changes? How have churches coped with the decline in membership and the change in people's religiosity? What have been the changes in theological emphasis among clergy in this context, and which theological trends have emerged most and influenced the development of the church? This doctoral thesis examines the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church (EELC) in the years 1991–2015. It deals with the changes in membership and clergy, Lutheran identity, different forms of piety, church models, and the relationship of the EELK with society and the state. Although church membership is declining across Europe, as people's religiosity no longer needs to be defined in ecclesial terms, Christian values and traditions are still important, and conservatism associated with them helps churches to cope with declining membership. Thus, the EELC has also become more supportive of conservative and traditional values in society. Among the theological pieties, the “high church” direction has been the most prominent in church leadership, which, in addition to reforming the liturgical order of worship, has attached importance to reorganizing the ecclesiastical structure and increasing the authority of the clergy. The social importance and role of the EELC has been marginalized: it is no longer the norm but an alternative. What was once a free people's church has now become one church among others, which has chosen the path of representing conservative values instead of uniting and reconciling the various parties in society. This, in turn, leads to greater confrontation and opposition with secularized society.
Estonia is known as one of the most secular countries in Europe. This means that organized religion – Christianity in particular – plays little role in people's lives. It is estimated that about a quarter of the Estonian population belongs to different churches and denominations, and the number of active churchgoers is even smaller. On the other hand, the Estonian population can by no means be regarded as not religious, with no interest in religious matters at all. Estonians' religiosity simply manifests itself in various forms outside the boundaries of institutional religion. What has been the position of the churches in such changes? How have churches coped with the decline in membership and the change in people's religiosity? What have been the changes in theological emphasis among clergy in this context, and which theological trends have emerged most and influenced the development of the church? This doctoral thesis examines the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church (EELC) in the years 1991–2015. It deals with the changes in membership and clergy, Lutheran identity, different forms of piety, church models, and the relationship of the EELK with society and the state. Although church membership is declining across Europe, as people's religiosity no longer needs to be defined in ecclesial terms, Christian values and traditions are still important, and conservatism associated with them helps churches to cope with declining membership. Thus, the EELC has also become more supportive of conservative and traditional values in society. Among the theological pieties, the “high church” direction has been the most prominent in church leadership, which, in addition to reforming the liturgical order of worship, has attached importance to reorganizing the ecclesiastical structure and increasing the authority of the clergy. The social importance and role of the EELC has been marginalized: it is no longer the norm but an alternative. What was once a free people's church has now become one church among others, which has chosen the path of representing conservative values instead of uniting and reconciling the various parties in society. This, in turn, leads to greater confrontation and opposition with secularized society.