Lichtgedanken 02

S C HW E R P U N K T 32 Luther decade when it became evident during his time as Rector that the an- niversary of the Reformation was to be very elaborately celebrated. »I saw in this an opportunity to link theological research at the Friedrich Schiller Uni- versity more closely to the State. The objective, after all, was to exploit the potential of the anniversary – and with it the decade – not only for celebration but also for science.« He therefore set up the initiative »Science and Church« and helped to found the »Reformation Research Network«. He explains that they are both working very well to this day and have established themselves as an information forum and com- munication platform between nume- rous institutions in Thuringia. Too much Luther — too much »hero worship« »The anniversary has led to an increase in knowledge in many areas. Whether the same applies to insight remains to be seen,« Klaus Dicke says. For him the- re is slightly too much Luther, slightly too much hero worship in the current celebrations. »Luther is only one of a whole series of reformers,« he says. »Of course, his translation of the New Testament was a huge achievement, but translating the Old Testament con- stituted admirable teamwork with a result that was no less valuable.« This entire focus on one strong man and the cultivation of the myth of the nailing of the Theses to the church door, someti- mes encourage overly nationalistic traits, he states, which are inappropria- te when commemorating an event that affected half of Europe. He also views the event character of the anniversary, which has now gained the upper hand, with great scepticism. Nevertheless, Dicke is delighted by much of what has been set in mo- vement. »Many construction projects have been realized as part of the de- cade, and a wide variety of subjects surrounding the Reformation have attracted a much larger audience than would otherwise have been the case – for example, a film about Luther’s wife Katharina von Bora, which also discus- ses the role of women in those times.« In general, the Church had generated greater attention, he says, especially in states such as Thuringia and Saxony- Anhalt. This is due in no small measu- re to his own efforts. Since he left the office of rector, especially, he regular- ly receives requests for presentations thanks to which he has to immerse himself time and again in all the rami- fications of the entire subject. »When I was completing my Abitur, I would never have expected that one day I would concern myself so intensively with Protestant theology – and in the process become more curious every time,« says Klaus Dicke by way of an interim conclusion. »The questions in my head have certainly not grown fe- wer.« He sees the fact of embarking on a search for the answers as a major per- sonal enrichment. After all, he states, for all the differences, the important thing every time is to discover what the two confessions have in common. One winner to emerge from the deca- de has already been decided as far as the former Rector is concerned: ecume- nism. Of all days, the day commemo- rating the anniversary of the »schism« has contributed to create closer ties between the two confessions, he says. »The way in which we have all accepted an understanding of the Reformation and tried in the process to see things from each other’s perspective, gives me confidence for the future,« reasons the Catholic. »There were and are a whole series of joint events and church ser- vices which focus on what we have in common.« In spite of all thoughts of reconciliation, »as a Catholic you can- not help but view an anniversary of this nature with a tinge of sadness,« Dicke admits. »The Reformation was without doubt absolutely necessary in the circumstances of those times, but I am not so sure that the Church had to split over it.« Klaus Dicke himself still has a lot of miles to cover this year. The next pre- sentations have already been written. The anniversary Church Conventi- on in Jena and Weimar was held in May. He hasn’t decided yet, he says, how he is going to spend 31 October – the anniversary of Reformation Day. Probably with friends in the town of Oettern where he lives. There he is the only Catholic and an accepted member of the community. However, the way in which he came to be accepted was un- usual, as he recounts. »Shortly after we moved there, my wife – who is Protes- tant – asked me to take a role in an Eas- ter play as they were short of an actor. It was the role of D. Martin Luther, of all people – and I seem to have played him very convincingly.« Luther as a toy figure in front of the door of Witten- berg’s Schlosskirche. Klaus Dicke sees the event character of the anniversary of the Reformation with scepticism.