Against the background of the virulent question of destructive conflict dynamics between groups, the present contribution introduces the social-psychological theory complex of the "Social Identity Approach" (SIA) and discusses it from a theological-anthropological and theological-ethical point of view. While the SIA assumes that social identity, which is important for the concept of self, leads to depersonalization and the devaluation of foreign groups, a Christian understanding of identity could on the one hand protect against overidentification with collective identities and on the other hand, following Bonhoeffer's reflections, remind us that collectives, too, must be understood as actors with an ethical orientation and, as collective persons, must be held responsible in a specific way for processes of social transformation. The church, as an actor in civil society, could play the prototypical role of a reconciling collective.

Enthalten in:
Evangelische Theologie; 2021/1 Zweimonatsschrift (2021)

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Serie / Reihe: Evangelische Theologie

Personen: Schell, Maximilian

Schlagwörter: Ethik Identität Gruppe Soziale Identität