As part of the ongoing restructuring processes in many German dioceses, pastoral areas are becoming increasingly larger, whilst human and financial resources are dwindling. Debates about what should be prioritised pastorally under these conditions are often conducted on the basis of structural logic – it is less common to ask, in a methodologically rigorous manner, what local parishioners actually need and want.
This is precisely where the study conducted by Rupert M. Scheule, Simon Heimerl and Antonio Zierer in 2023 in the neighbouring parish communities of St Michael and Maria Hilf in Krumbach (Diocese of Augsburg) comes in. Theoretically, the survey is based on the Four Voices model(Cameron et al. 2010), which treats the ‘espoused’ and ‘operant’ theology of the faithful as voices to be taken seriously alongside normative and academic theology. Methodologically, it is a self-selection survey involving 651 participants, the limitations of whose representativeness are openly acknowledged.
The findings contribute to ongoing discussions on pastoral prioritisation, the understanding of the Eucharist and lay participation, and are placed within a broader pastoral-theological context through concepts such as Grace Davies’ ‘vicarious religion’ and Rainer Bucher’s interpretation of the theology of grace. This article is intended as a small building block towards that ethos of ‘listening vocations’ (Kling-Witzenhausen), without which viable concepts for the future of pastoral care are unlikely to succeed.
Data requests and collaborations
The research data held by the Chair goes far beyond what has been published in our publications. Where possible, we can also make these more extensive datasets available to you for pastoral, religious education and practical pastoral care contexts. If you are interested in using this data for professional development, parish development or similar purposes, please do not hesitate to contact us – we will assess your enquiry without fuss and look forward to exchanging ideas with practitioners.
Full-text article:
Rupert M. Scheule / Simon Heimerl / Antonio Zierer: ‘The Sunday Service is What Matters Most: What People in Rural Pastoral Areas Want’. An empirical study, in: Journal of Pastoral Theology 45 (2025), No. 1, pp. 161–174. DOI: 10.17879/zpth-2025-8827 (external link, opens in a new window) (Open Access).
