A recent study has shown that protestant churches in Germany can be regarded as practice grounds of democracy and, in prolongation, also of tolerance. In her paper, Kinga Zeller discusses possible explanations arguing that it is especially an ecclesiological focus on the center instead of the borders of the church as well as the use of certain social imaginaries that foster tolerance. With regard to the disapproval-respect-model of tolerance she highlights the role of intragroup respect, suggests ways to strengthen it, and offers criteria for its limits.