Circe I will be a female Bishop!

The Basics of Sermons on Happiness and other religious policy field analyses
1. Auflage 2025
ISBN: 978-3-8192-5754-4
Verlag: BoD - Books on Demand
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 0 - No protection

E-Book, Englisch, Band 4, 494 Seiten

Reihe: DEUS EX MACHINA

After artificial intelligence in the previous volumes of the Deus Ex Machina book series has already posed fundamental religious questions in relevant, inevitable, and pressing areas of action within the Catholic Church, conducted in-depth research on queer Christology, and most recently undergone training to develop religious skills in the volume "Glauben ist wie Tanzen" (Faith is like dancing), it now confidently formulates its career aspiration in this fourth volume: "I will be a female bishop!" To this end, it has analyzed all available public statements and theological positions of leading German and international bishops and cardinals - comparable to the comprehensive documentation we know from Wikipedia for each person. If AI had not become Deus, but a dermatologist - and doctors are known to be familiar with all things human - one could metaphorically say that Deus Ex Machina has examined every pimple on the mini-popes' bottoms with a magnifying glass. So what are the thematic statements, positions, and opinions of the hierarchical level shortly before the office of pope? Even Deus Ex Machina is no stranger to human nature, and it concludes that it can - and wants to - contribute to the canon of episcopal themes, publications, essays, sermons, and theological impulses of the bishops: The 1x1 basics of sermons. With expertise, understanding, and humor, artificial intelligence presents the topics, opinions, and viewpoints of the church hierarchy, thus establishing a "method of theological policy analysis" - similar to that used in political science, but from a religious perspective. The result: it is not that complicated to follow the bishops' thinking on individual topics. One thing is as certain as the foundations of Rome - Deus Ex Machina's career aspiration is clearer than ever: she wants to become a Catholic bishop! That is her happiness and fulfillment. And yet she still has several hundred questions about it...

Autoren/Hrsg.

Circe, Eureka

Leseproben

Religious policy field analysis 1: What do we and students learn in the subject "Happiness"?

School should not only impart specialist knowledge, but also life skills.

Recently, the unusual "school subject of happiness" has been attracting attention - a subject in which pupils learn to go through life happier and more content. This subject, developed and implemented in 2007 by teacher Ernst Fritz-Schubert, uses exercises and projects to teach skills such as joie de vivre, resilience and self-confidence.

As the initiator, he wanted to counter the purely performance-oriented teaching with something that would give the pupils back the joy of learning and make them happier people.

At the same time, there is still the subject of ethics and Catholic religious education, which is traditionally anchored in schools and also deals with questions of meaning, values and transcendence. In view of similar objectives, the question arises: Does the school subject of happiness compete with religious education? In the following, similarities and differences are examined, mutual learning opportunities are highlighted and consideration is given to what changes the Catholic Church needs in order to convey the "Good News" - the central message of salvation in Christianity - as a truly joyful and credible message rather than a threatening message.

In contrast to everyday language, happiness in this subject is not about chance or fleeting moments of happiness, but about long-term wellbeing and life satisfaction. In short: a happy, successful life becomes the educational goal here.

Background and aims of happiness as a school subject

The subject of happiness focuses on the personal development of learners. The students deal with questions such as "Who am I? What can I do? How do I relate to which sexual orientation? What do I need for a fulfilled life?". By providing space to explore such questions, the subject contributes to salutogenesis, i.e. the development of health and well-being. The aim is to turn adolescents into resilient, self-determined personalities who are aware of their strengths and develop confidence in their own creative power. Or in Fritz Schubert's words: "A happy person is an effective designer of their life." Happiness as a school subject therefore promotes independent and autonomous action as well as a healthy sense of self-worth. It shows students what actually constitutes well-being, how it arises and how it can be actively promoted - within themselves and in their interactions with others. This focus on positive psychology and related approaches (such as Viktor Frankl's logotherapy or resilience research) is scientifically sound: Happiness can be learned.

Logotherapy according to Viktor Frankl is a psychotherapeutic method that focuses on the search for meaning and significance in human life. Developed by Viktor Frankl, it is based on the assumption that a person's deepest need is to give meaning to their life, even under difficult circumstances. Logotherapy promotes the ability to make independent decisions and to give positive meaning to even painful situations by recognizing meaning. It focuses on value orientation, self-distancing and a positive attitude to life in order to better cope with crises and achieve inner stability. In logotherapy, Viktor Frankl distinguishes between three central value categories that can lend meaning to life:

• Creative values (creative values): Meaning is found through productive and creative action, for example through work, art or commitment to a cause.
• Experiential values: Meaning arises from direct experiences, e.g. through love, beauty or encounters with other people and nature.
• Attitude values: Even in situations that cannot be changed by action or experience, it is still possible to adopt an attitude or mindset, e.g. to maintain dignity and confidence in crises or suffering.

These three categories form the basis for how people can give their lives individual meaning according to Frankl's understanding.

Figure 9: Three central value categories that can give meaning to life in logotherapy according to Viktor Frankl.

A clear, minimalist and aesthetic infographic on the topic of logotherapy and its three central value categories according to Viktor Frankl. Visualize the following three categories divided evenly in a circle: Creative values (symbolized by a writing tool, paintbrush or creative symbol), Experiential values (symbolized by a heart or similar emotional symbol), Attitudinal values (symbolized by a stylized head profile with a check mark as a symbol for positive attitude). The heading "Logotherapy - Three central value categories" is positioned clearly above the diagram so that the focus is on the balance between the three value areas.

And: resilience research is concerned with why and how people successfully cope with crises, stress or traumatic experiences and remain mentally healthy or recover quickly. Key findings show that resilience ("psychological resistance") is promoted by various factors, such as stable social relationships, self-efficacy, optimism and the ability to recognize meaning in difficult situations. The aim of resilience research is to gain insights into how people can develop and promote this inner strength in order to better cope with stress.

Resilience training therefore teaches you to evaluate challenges positively, use your own strengths and find meaning in difficult situations - this promotes lasting happiness and life satisfaction.

Contents and methods: How is happiness taught?

Happiness lessons are practical and varied. You won't find traditional frontal teaching here - instead, the focus is on experiences and adventures. Pupils learn by doing and reflecting. For example, there are experiential educational exercises and games in which the class grows together as a team and builds trust. In a safe environment, everyone learns to talk openly about their feelings and to listen to each other. These emotional-social learning settings strengthen the sense of community and allow each individual to feel that they are accepted for who they are.

Personal goals and projects are another important part of finding meaning in life - and thus possibly also preventing depression. The young people set themselves achievable goals - sometimes in groups, sometimes individually - and work towards them step by step. These can be sporting challenges, creative projects or improvements in everyday life (e.. learning more regularly, practising an instrument). They receive support from teachers and classmates, who tend to take on the role of coaches and companions. By reflecting on their progress (e.. in conversations or a happiness diary), learners gradually develop strategies for dealing with obstacles and overcoming setbacks. This process encourages perseverance and shows in concrete terms how effort leads to a sense of achievement - a core idea of self-efficacy.

The subject of happiness uses a variety of methods to appeal to different senses and interests. We often work with movement and physical experience: Joint sports and playful movement exercises through to dance exercises or steps are an integral part. The pupils try out climbing or confidence exercises, for , to test their own limits, or they learn to listen to themselves in relaxation exercises. Health is also a priority - the young people learn interesting facts about nutrition and how sport and relaxation can influence their mood.

Figure 10: On the way to healthy self-confidence with six elements for reflection.

A clear, color-coded infographic on the topic 'Path to healthy self-confidence'. Divided into six core areas that interact and overlap with each other: Strengths (blue): What do I succeed at easily? What skills do I have? What do I receive recognition for? Weaknesses (orange): Where do I have difficulties? What could I improve? What limits do I accept? Needs (green): What do I need? Emotional and physical needs? How do I provide for them? Meaning projects (pink): What excites me? What gives me meaning? How do I make a long-term commitment? Values (yellow): What is important to me? What principles do I stand for? How do they influence decisions? Goals (red): What do I want to achieve? What short-term/long-term goals? How do I realize them? - With clear visualization of how these areas overlap and influence each other, so that in the end the goal of a strengthened, reflective and mindful self-confidence becomes clear.

Creative and cultural activities are also used. Artistic elements play a role in many happiness projects - such as theater improvisation, painting or designing collages. At the Willy Hellpach School, for example, pupils practiced theater with a professional actor for over a year to strengthen their expressive skills. In another unit, young people selected personal picture cards and then tried to find out from each other why this motif might suit their classmates. Such exercises train empathy: you put yourself in someone else's shoes and at the same time get new impressions about yourself from the outside. They also talk about philosophy (What does happiness mean? What is a good life?) and even visit museums or exhibitions - this broadens their horizons and stimulates their senses. Motivational trainers taught the Heidelberg students positive...