Abstract

To assume that the study of religion is the task of ecclesiastical history would be at best only partly true, since this discipline has always regarded itself as part of theology. The premises of an extra-historical creation of the Church and its foundation in Revelation prevent a broadening of the history of religion from regarding religion and other cultures as social products. Such a broadening is precisely what I propose. A transformation of denominational church history into an institutional history of Christianity is possible, because it can leave the underlying questions untouched. But a history of religion as social science must be independent of any dogma or committed theology.