Kirchliche Kommunikation in der entwickelten Kommunikationsgesellschaft

Abstract

Gute Sprüche haben ein langes Leben, wenn sie erst einmal eingeschlagen haben. So ist uns allen noch Marshall McLuhan in der Erinnerung und sein "globales Dorf". Das war und ist seit 1962 ein Schlagwort so recht nach dem Herzen aller halbwegs gebildeten Menschen. Aber prophetisch war es nicht oder jedenfalls nicht in dem Sinne, den jeder zu verstehen glaubte. Die Erfindung des Buchdrucks habe zu einer Explosion der menschlichen Rationalität geführt, meinte McLuhan. "Die Produktion von Büchern und Flugschriften beseitigte seiner Ansicht nach endgültig den totalen Dialog des Analphabeten mit seiner geschlossenen, nahen Umwelt der primitiven Dorf-gemeinschaft und damit die soziale Harmonie." (...)

English

Ecclesiastical communication in the developed communication society.

At the end of the second millenium, modern communication networks are spread throughout the populated world. It is disputable whatever the omnipresence of communication technology and the permanent availability of the offers of the mass media are more useful or more damaging to the development of mankind. Yet, one cannot deny that people naturally turn towards these offers and make use of them. Whenever the church wants to communicate with mankind, it encounters this state of complete communicative equipment natured within the last 40 years. It does so in any case in industrial countdes and in countdes embarking on this state. Both the equipment and the technologically determined style and rite of communication are already there, where the church wants to catch on with its message. But just as the church reacted too late first to Gutenberg and then to the mass press coming into existence in the 19th century, its reaction to the present electronic revolution in  ommunication is not comprehensive nor competent enough. The modernisations of ecclesiastical speech and mass media are indeed remarkable. But they have little effect on a public which is no Ionger able to hear the one message weil, because it is used to hear many different "messages" every day. The church has to align all its efforts with upholding the representation of its content within the process which Ieads to a developed communication society. This can only succeed if it notes that the people Jiving in this communication society are the way they are and if it is prepared to translate this knowledge into pastoral practice.