The Disenchantment of the World and the Civilizational Crisis

Theological Challenges and Possibilities from a Lutheran Perspective

Abstract

Modernity has established a civilizational paradigm based on the separation between humanity and nature, a process culminating in the disenchantment of the world and the instrumentalization of nature. This phenomenon not only shaped the logic of Western scientific, technical, and economic development but also profoundly influenced Christian theology, particularly Protestant theology, which has historically privileged an approach that dissociates transcendence from the natural world. In the face of the contemporary ecological crisis and the symbolic exhaustion of religious structures for addressing the relationship between humanity and nature, this article seeks to investigate whether and how theology can offer a response to this impasse. The central research question concerns whether the Protestant theological tradition, regarded by Max Weber as a driving force behind the disenchantment of the world, can provide elements for reconstructing a more integrated relationship among humanity, nature, and God. The hypothesis proposed is that Lutheran theology, particularly through its Eucharistic doctrine, offers a hermeneutical key to rethinking the sacredness of creation without disregarding the autonomy of nature. The findings suggest that Lutheran sacramental theology enables a symbolic reconciliation between nature and transcendence, paving the way for an epistemology of grace that redefines the relationality lost in modernity. The research adopts an interdisciplinary theological approach, integrating philosophy, history, and systematic theology to examine the roots of disenchantment and propose alternatives within the framework of the Protestant tradition. In this way, this article contributes to contemporary theological debate by suggesting new pathways for constructing an ecological spirituality within the Protestant context.