Altruistic – universal – emotional

Solidarity from a political-theological perspective

Abstract

The article reconstructs the understanding of solidarity in political theology according to Johann Baptist Metz, which can be characterised as altruistic, universal and emotional. This outline of solidarity is contrasted with sociological considerations, which tend to emphasise the particularistic and ephemaral character of solidarity. Recently the term »unconditional solidarity« gains importance in socio- and cultural-scientific discourses and appears to be more compatible with the political-theological characterisation of solidarity. From a practical point of view, the question is becoming more important: how can solidarity that is capable of overcoming religious, ideological and social divides be realised in increasingly polarised and divided societies?