Rechtfertigungslehre und kirchliche Religiosität

„Meine Herren – Es wackelt alles“. Mit diesen berühmten Worten hatte Ernst Troeltsch die kirchliche, die religiöse und die theologische Situation der Zeit vor gut 100 Jahren umrissen: Es war 1896, auf einem Kongreß der „Freunde der Christlichen Welt“, einer Gruppe liberal denkender Professoren aus allen Fakultäten. Troeltsch hatte dabei beides im Blick: den Zustand der Kirche und die Sache der Theologie. „Es wackelt alles.“ Genau diese Empfindung war es, die vielen von uns jüngeren Theologen in den sechziger Jahren des 20. Jahrhunderts zu schaffen machte. Was „wackelte“, war zunächst die Sache der Theologie selbst, die damals häufig, beispielsweise auf dem Stuttgarter Kirchentag von 1969, als „Streit um Kaisers Bart“ in Frage gestellt und lächerlich gemacht wurde. Und zwar keineswegs von Atheisten oder anderen Gegnern der Kirche, sondern von jungen Theologen, von Studenten und Vikaren. Verunsichert waren sie vor allem durch die Ergebnisse der historisch-kritischen Bibel-Exegese, die gar nicht mit den Ursprungsmotivationen für ihr Theologiestudium zusammenpassen wollten. Verunsichert waren sie zusätzlich durch die marxistische Religionskritik, die damals ihre große Renaissance erlebte. Und „es wackelte“ nicht nur die Theologie; sondern es begannen auch die nach 1945 so kräftig restaurierten Funktionen und Rollen der Kirche zu wackeln. Als verunsichernd wurde vor allem die ungewohnte und scharfe (dabei de facto unwissenschaftlich einseitige) sozialkritische Analyse des Handelns der Kirche und seiner Folgen in 2000 Jahren Christentumsgeschichte empfunden. „Vom Elend des Christentums“ hieß die polemische Kampfschrift des jungen Marburger Dr. theol. Joachim Kahl. Das kleine Rowohlt-Büchlein fand reißenden Absatz unter den theologischen und nichttheologischen Kritikern der Kirche. ..

Word and Faith in the Formation of Christian Existence: A Study in Gerhard Ebeling\u27s Rejection of the Joint Declaration

In 1998, the theologian Gerhard Ebeling helped to initiate a rancorous, public debate among theologians in Germany over whether the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification presents a consensus in the basic truths of the doctrine of justification by co-editing the famous letter of protest. Why would he want to do this? The fact that some argue he held a distinguished position in ecumenical circles during the 1950s and 1960s makes this question somewhat intriguing. Moreover, how will this opposition impact the continuation of ecumenical discussions between Lutherans and Catholics? Through a comparison of the Joint Declaration and the letter of protest with an examination of texts relating Ebeling\u27s hermeneutical anthropology, which highlights how the word of God creates faith in the listener, and makes one to exist in the presence of God (i.e., the word-event), along with his understanding of the purpose of ecumenism and the church, this study argues that Ebeling refused to support the Joint Declaration for two reasons. First, the Joint Declaration allows for an understanding of justification that requires human cooperation in justification, which creates a very different picture of Christian reality in comparison to that of Ebeling, for whom one is justified purely through the action of God\u27s word, without a human contribution, which creates faith in the believer and changes the way that one exists. Second, the Joint Declaration\u27s presentation of the doctrine of justification does not produce an agreement upon the nature and function of the church, which demonstrates not only that there is no consensus on the doctrine of justification, but also that there are fundamental differences over the function of the church in the Christian life, which justifies schism. Finally, by comparing Ebeling\u27s hermeneutical anthropology with the continuing objections of his students and colleagues (Drs. Mark Menacher, Gerhard Forde, and Eberhard Jüngel), this study concludes, somewhat paradoxically, that while Ebeling\u27s hermeneutical anthropology itself could serve as a source for deepening the consensus reached in the Joint Declaration, it may well also be the source of objections to the continuing discussions between Lutheran and Catholics for years to come

„…Glaubensgerechtigkeit“ Calvins Begründung der Reformation

“… Justification by faith”Calvin’s grounds for the Reformation In 1539, at the young age of 30, Calvin wrote a letter to Cardinal Jacopo Sadoleto, an eminent scholar and proponent of the Roman Church, in answer to the latter’s letter earlier that year to Geneva. This answer of Calvin, as requested urgently by the City of Geneva, is very well-known for the way how Calvin refuted Sadoleto’s arguments against the Reformation and thus took up the cudgels for the very city that banned him only a year before. This Calvin did by justifying the quintessence of and necessity for the Reformation. Since then, this text has not only been known as one of the most famous defences of the principles of the Reformation of the six-teenth century but even has been described as probably the most powerful and sys-tematic successful apologetic Reformation writing of that age as such. In this article, Calvin’s analysis of the core of the Reformation is discussed against the background of his relation to Martin Luther and their appreciation for each other. According to Calvin the “heart” of the Reformation was justification by grace alone. Ultimately it is only a matter of faith in Christ alone. For his explanation of justification by grace and faith alone, Calvin refers consistently to Scripture as the Word of God. In this Chris-tological approach – for which Luther according to a witness expressed his apprecia-tion – Calvin and Luther are very close to each other indeed. “… regverdigmaking deur die geloof”Calvyn se begronding van die ReformasieOpsommingOp die jong ouderdom van 30 skryf Calvyn in 1539 ’n brief aan Kardinaal Jacopo Sadoletus, beroemde geleerde en verteenwoordiger van die Roomse Kerk. Hierdie brief van Calvyn wat hy op die dringende smeekversoek van die stadsraad van Genève geskryf het, het hom baie roem laat inoes. Calvyn weerlê met hierdie skrywe Sadoletus se aanklagte teen die Reformasie en tree daarmee in die bresse vir die stad wat hom die jaar vantevore verban het. Daarby begrond hy die kern van die Reformasie en die noodsaak daarvoor. Sedertdien staan hierdie brief nie slegs bekend as een van die mees befaamde apologetiese geskrifte van die Reformasie nie maar is dit selfs beskryf as die mees kragtige en teologies suksesvolle verdediging daarvan in die sestiende eeu. In hierdie artikel word Calvyn se verklaring van die kern van die Reformasie bespreek teen die agtergrond van sy verhouding met Martin Luther en beide van hulle se respek vir mekaar. Volgens Calvyn is die hart van die Reformasie die regverdigmaking deur genade alleen. Dit gaan ten volle oor geloof in Christus alleen. Vir sy verklaring van die regverdigmaking deur genade en geloof alleen beroep Calvyn hom konsekwent op die Skrif as Woord van God. In hierdie Christologiese benadering – waarvoor Luther volgens ’n getuie waardering uitgespreek het – staan Calvyn en Luther dig bymekaar.   https://doi.org/10.19108/KOERS.85.1.250

Philipp Melanchthon : johdatus tutkimukseen

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