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Carsten Rentzing, born September 27, 1967, is a German protestant theologian. He is a bishop of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Saxony.
In 1987, Rentzing graduated from the Free University of Berlin with a degree in law and philosophy, before undertaking postgraduate studies in protestant theology in Berlin, Frankfurt am Main and at the Lutheran Seminary, Oberursel. From 1989 until 1992, Rentzing edited the far-right magazine, Fragmente. In 1992 he joined the Alten Prager Landsmannschaft Hercynia, a Frankfurt pflichtschlagenden (Academic fencing student association), which is part of the Coburger Convent. As of October 2019, he is still a member of this association. From 1997 until 1999, he was curate at the congregation in Zwota and Oelsnitz, Vogtland. In 1999, he attained his second degree in Dresden and was ordained as a regular priest for the congregation in Annaberg-Buchholz (Ore Mountains).
Since early years Rentzing is stating conservative and theological controversies discussed positions regarding church, gospel, politics and society. In 1991 he wrote in a recension: the by the Church-proclaimed Christian truth exists independently of the world and can only be appropriated by the church. So called Feierabendmahle on Protestant Kirchentage are signs of near doomsday and heresy.
In 2015, the synod of his church elected him a bishop in the sixth ballot. A lot of members were against his conservative opinions. He rejected gay marriage and was against gay pastors who live together. Protesters in his own church criticized him for his tolerance of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
In October 2019, he said he would step down from the post of bishop within a year. This followed a debate about his relationship with far-right positions and connected groups and parties. The AfD in the Saxon Landtag sees Carsten Rentzing exposed to a "hate campaign" and shows solidarity with him. They said, Rentzing had preserved "the traditions of Christianity and has refused to take the left-green course of the Evangelical Church in Germany for years" said Jörg Urban AfD Landtag member.
