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Religious socialism cannot mean the joining of religion and socialism in such a manner that each of the constituents could achieve, apart from the other, independence if not fulfillment; it cannot mean merely that the two have concluded an agreement to unite their autonomies in a common being and working. Religious socialism can only mean that religion and socialism are essentially directed to each other—that each of them needs the covenant with the other for the fulfillment of its own essence. Religio, that is, the human person's binding of himself to God, can only attain its full reality in the will for a community of the human race, out of which God, alone, can prepare His kingdom. Socialitas, that is, mankind's becoming a fellowship—man's becoming a fellow to man—cannot develop other than out of a common relation to the divine center, even if this be again and still nameless. Unity with God and community among the creatures belong together. Religion without socialism is disembodied spirit and, therefore, not genuine spirit; socialism without religion is body emptied of spirit and, hence, also not genuine body. But—socialism without religion does not hear the divine address; it does not aim at a response. Still it happens that it responds; religion without socialism hears the call but does not respond.

DOI: 10.1007/978-1-137-07671-7_28

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