ELKB Jahresempfang 2026

Under the title "Explosive Modernity – Life in an Emotionally Intense Age," the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria hosted its 2026 annual reception at Tutzing Castle. The highlight was a lecture and discussion with Paris-based sociologist and author Eva Illouz. Illouz described modern societies as emotional systems that generate feelings such as hope, disappointment, shame, and fear. The sociologist analyzed the culture of constant comparison. She argued that it is not absolute inequality that causes the most profound hurt, but rather the constant visibility of other people's lives, successes, and opportunities. Exaggerated expectations give rise to a "bitter optimism" that both drives and exhausts people. "Human dignity does not depend on success or achievement," Bishop Christian Kopp echoed in his opening remarks. He noted that many people today feel they must constantly prove themselves – professionally, socially, and personally. Christian faith, he asserted, contradicts a culture of perpetual self-optimization. He reminded everyone that human dignity precedes success. "You don't have to be perfect to take on responsibility," Kopp said. Christian faith expects fractures, conflicts, and failures – even in institutions and churches.