Dorothee Sӧlle: Martha and/or Mary – Vita Activa and/or Vita Contemplativa

The text traces the ideas of the modern Protestant theologian Dorothee Sӧlle (Mystik und Widerstand) on the relationship between active and contemplative life (represented by the biblical characters Martha and Mary respectively) in relation to her conceptions of a socially oriented Christianity. A parallel is drawn with the famous ideas of Hannah Arendt (The Human Condition). Commonalities are sought in the appreciation of the active, operative aspect of life (in unity with its contemplative aspect).