Abstract (eng)
What is a good life and how can a - theologically speaking – "life in fullness" (John 10:10) succeed? In view of an observable discrepancy within the Catholic Church and theology between what is said and what is lived with regard to joy and its various dimensions, this question acquires pastoral-theological relevance as a starting point for the present research project. This leads to the research guiding question: what is the significance of the Christian faith for joy in people after the adult catechumenate? A hermeneutical synopsis of the concept of joy forms the first part of the paper. Using the biblical accounts, the comments of the church fathers, and the magisterial insights on joy, a theology of joy is developed as the theoretical basis for the research project. The core of the work is the development of a theoretical model. From a sociology of religion and a pastoral psychology perspective, the significance of faith for the phenomenon of joy within the adult catechumenate is systematized and conceptualized. The model is based on empirical data collected, coded, and interpreted using a qualitative method - grounded theory according to Barney G. Glaser and Anselm L. Strauss. The processual character of the catechumenate is accounted for in the model by five interrelated modes of condition and interaction. Faith is thereby established as a formatter of meaning, identity, and relationship, and the dimensions of joy derived from these. With the model presented, the dissertation project provides a new and creative perspective on the adult catechumenate with a particular focus on the emotion of joy. In this model, faith is established as a resonant site for joy, where it is made to "resonate" and thus transformatively shape other areas of life in a variety of ways.