Seigneur, qui séjournera sous ta tente ? (Ps. 14, 1)

Une question d’hospitalité réciproque pour penser l’avenir des églises

Abstract

Based on the words of Psalm 14:1, “Lord, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle?” and the notion of “reciprocal hospitality”, this study proposes a fresh look at the future of the churches. In a context marked by strong secularization, with the corollary of weakening Christian communities and declining economic resources, the future of a number of places of worship seems threatened. Before giving in to the binary logic of “keep” or “get rid of”, this study aims to return to the tension inherent in Christianity as regards the place itself. If the place of worship is a strong marker of identity and presence, if it has a manifest symbolic force, God does not allow himself to be enclosed within it. Based on Sacrosanctum Concilium 7, a middle way is envisaged in order to identify a triple function of the church: epicletic, anamnetic, kerygmatic, as a discernment of the genius proper to each place, rethinking its concrete use to this end.