1 - 2002

Church and Globalisation

Editorial

The word "globalisation" dominates the discussion of economics and politics in many countries in the world, including Germany. It is striking to hear in what different ways the word is used, and the emotional content it has.

For some, globalisation means unlimited trade and financial market opportunities, and is seen as a great promoter of economic growth which will benefit everyone who is open to it and joins in. Promoters of globalisation may admit that it also has negative effects on people, in industrial as well as developing countries, but believe that these challenges must be met with economic and political flexibility.

For one of its opponents, Friedrich Hengsbach, globalisation is the expression of an "imperialist expansion of the Western model of civilisation ... in the course of which traditional cultures disappear, the capitalistic market economy system is spread, along with democracy in the formal sense, and less developed economies are forced to integrate into the world market regime dominated by the industrial nations". Millions of people, many countries, and most of an entire continent (Africa) are excluded from this development, since they are not needed either as producers or as consumers. Thus, in this view, globalisation increases and aggravates poverty and marginalisation".

Within the churches as well, there are basic differences in perception and opinion of globalisation. The World Council of Churches has therefore begun a series of consultations on this phenomenon. In the German churches too there are conflicting opinions on globalisation. We present here some texts to give an impression of this debate. The declaration of the EKD Synod, entitled "Designing a Responsible Global Economy", mentions the opportunities and advantages of the globalised economy, but also the suffering of the losers and victims in this process.

In an article from the Protestant journal Zeitzeichen (Signs of the Times), Evamaria Bohle asks whether, by taking this position, the churches have become better able to talk about economics. Another Protestant journal, Chrismon plus, examines the EKD Synod's statement and finds it fails to challenge and exert pressure. The contribution by the Catholic Commission Justitia et Pax calls for a reform of world trade rules. And Peace researcher Ernst-Otto Czempiel, in an interview with the Catholic journal Herder Korrespondenz, describes the meeting point between globalisation and international terrorism.