Christentum als Lebensform

The concept of forms of life has recently attracted interest across various disciplines. First,
this essay reconstructs the various strands of this interest from three perspectives: ethics,
historical and cultural studies, theology. For theology, its specific appeal seems to lie in
the fact that it mediates between church and subjectivity theory, between institutions and
individuals. Building on this, a concept of form of life is developed that is particularly suitable
for analyzing Christianity from a historical and empirical perspective. Forms of life
are »identity-shaping patterns of practices«, according to the central thesis of this essay.
The research perspectives outlined in the concluding section sketch what could be gained
analytically by viewing Christianity not only as an ecclesiastical institution or individual
belief, but also as a form of life.