Abstract
In 1972, the European Conference of Churches decided to launch a survey on their action in favor of peace. François Houtart's article consists of a sociological reflection on the documents published by these churches (protestant, orthodox, anglican). The first part treats the relationships between the Churches and their respective societies and it establishes a typology: established churches, churches of the liberal capitalist regimes and churches of the socialist regimes. In the first two connections existing between the social, economic and political systems and the churches considerably reduce their autonomy. In the socialist countries, the churches can only have a role of administration of private religion, ex pressing themselves within the limits determined by the ideo logy of the State. Their historical operation in feudal and capitalist societies makes an active role difficult in an egali tarian society.
The polarization within the Churches, provoked by the stands taken in areas concerning peace, brings to light the fact that they are affected by the social appurtenances of their members. This generally remains hidden when only the so-called purely religious questions are approached. Thus the difficulty arises of accepting prophetic minorities within them as well as of administrating conflicts linked with ideological options, options which are themselves fruits of social ap purtenances. In capitalist societies the dominating classes generally have a preponderant voice within ecclesiastical organizations.
One can notice a lack of socio-political analyses in the churches. This permits the author to study the notions of macro and micro-dimension in depth. The latter, which is that of the immediately perceptible, forms the general level of the apprehension of religious agents who have difficulty in placing themselves at a more global and structural level. The theological reflection concerning these areas often seems rather contradictory as it passes from a more or less explicit socio-political analysis to an ignorant production of its own social and ideological consequences. In any case, what is new is the development, at the heart of the churches, of an awareness that theological thought is ideologically situated and that their action is socially conditionned.