Books and articles in English
Books
 |
The Church Republic of Germany. Christian Lobbying. An Approach.This research shows how the churches in Germany systematically exert influence on politics. It reveals that Catholic and Protestant bodies are involved in legislative processes to an extent unmatched by any other civil society organisation. The book examines – for the first time in Germany – the work of church offices and their contacts within the ministerial bureaucracy. 300 pages, 2015. |
|
 |
The Violet Book on Church Finances. How the State Funds the ChurchesThis is an update of the data on ‘Church and Money’, focusing on state subsidies to the churches and their institutions: schools, faculties, childcare centres, state subsidies, religious education, heritage conservation, etc. These subsidies far exceed the revenue from church taxes. 270 pages, 2010. |
|
 |
The Stolen Seal. A historical crime novel set in the Hanseatic era1622: The Swedish state seal has been stolen in Hamburg. “Carsten Frerk is a master at keeping us on the edge of our seats with a gripping plot, whilst at the same time painting a vivid picture of a historical era.” (Convent Verlag). The *Lübecker Nachrichten* purchased the rights to publish it as a serialised novel. 235 pages, 2006 |
|
 |
The finances and assets of the churches in Germany.The first and, to date, only comprehensive study of the two major churches in Germany: their finances and assets. It covers all ‘sectors’ of church activity… ‘from the cradle to the grave’. With 170 tables and overviews, including those on total assets. 430 pages, 2002 |
Article
 |
Be embraced, millions! The churches and our money.On assets, subsidies, property – and other dubious holdings’, in: Helmut Ortner (ed.): Exit – Why We Need Less Religion. 21 pages, 2019. |
|
 |
Empty churches. Full coffers.Where state and church are closely intertwined financially and institutionally, a billion-franc business emerges’, in: Schweizer Monat. 5 pages, 2019. |
|
 |
“Islamic Relief”A Muslim aid organisation operating worldwide. Critics point out that it belongs to the ‘family’ of the Muslim Brotherhood and warn of the consequences. An investigation into the structure, scale and activities of the aid organisation. (2021) |
|
 |
Islamic lobbyingIslamic lobbying is the result of research (carried out in spring 2020) describing the history of the organisation INSSAN e.V. (Berlin), which has links to the Muslim Brotherhood: its foundation, turbulent early years and initial networking / Legal enablers / Religious backing / Consolidation and academic support / What am I? And if so, how many? / Establishment, further networking and entrenchment / Cui bono? / Do ut des / Conclusion |
|
 |
Who is a church member?Baptism – First Communion – Confirmation. (in collaboration with Jacqueline Neumann). Empirical data on baptisms and confirmations are compared, with the result that the majority of those baptised do not go on to be confirmed. In doing so, they do not confirm their baptism, which, under canon law, (strictly speaking) means that they are not members of the Church. (2017) |
Unpublished
 |
Men 2. Short stories about, with and amongst men.45 short stories, neatly divided into groups: the peaceful man, the warlike man, the libidinous man, the everyday man, the sporty man, the well-organised man, the Christian man, the historical man, the criminal man, and whatever other kinds of men there are. |
|
 |
Blue Flower Red.A ‘real novel’ describing the events of the years 1967–1969. The setting is Freiburg / Breisgau – as a peripheral, provincial town – representing all universities in Germany that are not called Berlin or Frankfurt. It was the time when much / everything began that later led to K-groups / employment bans / terrorism / a police state / group sex … – though this was neither planned nor intended. It was very different. (1998) |
|
 |
Along the ‘Siegfried Line’. A personal travelogue.‘We are hanging our washes on the Siegfried Line’: an English soldiers’ song. The Siegfried Line – the route of the retreat lines laid down by the German General Staff in 1914. My paternal grandfather, a soldier in 1914, was killed in action in the second month of the war, and now, eighty years on, his grandson visits the battlefields. (1995) |
|
 |
Michel e.V.. A real-life satire.The ‘club-goer’ is said to be the typical German – but who claimed that? We look around, wondering where he is: the typical German. It’s not me, it’s not him, nor him either … or is it supposed to be a phenomenon that occurs predominantly amongst German men? Not at all. But chiefly so. (2002) |
|
 |
Milestones in our lives, in photos, with texts… EBEN, 2002–2026.A personal look back at two and a half decades and the events and activities in the secular part of Germany in which Evelin Frerk and I were involved in various ways. |
© 2013-2026 Carsten Frerk Ι frerk@fowid.de Ι 0179 - 3 999 555