What is German Protestant Theology Saying About the Non- Christian Religions?

Źródło: Academia.edu

Rev. Paul Knitter, S. V. D., Dr. Theol. Des.,
Catholic Theological Union
5401 South Cornell Ave., Chicago, 111. 60615

The following study hopes to serve äs a Stimulus to an ecumenical Christian Theology of the Religions by asking whether and how one segment of that theology is confronting the »other religions«. We will offer — from a »Catholic viewpoint« — a survey of present-day Ger- man Protestant attitudes towards the religions and weigh how these attitudes are clarifying the questions which are essential to a well-de- fined theology of the non- Christian religious world and to a theological dialogue with this world: What, if any, role do the religions play in the »history of salvation«? Can we speak of a genuine divine presence or revelation within the religions? And can this revelation be the basis for a faith-encounter with the Deity — i. e., for the attainment of salva- tion? — Or, more generally: must the Christian's attitude toward and encounter with other religions be basically positive or negative? And why? — What stance do contemporary German-speaking Protestant theologians take to all these questions? /1

Present State of German-Protestant Theology of Religions

1. The lack of a formed and integrated Theology of the Non-Chris- tian Religions among Protestant thinkers is painfully evident, still today. This is admitted äs a »nostra culpa« by numerous Protestant theologians

1 This article incorporates the »verification chapter« to the author's doctoral disser- tation, »A Case study for a Protestant Theology of the Religions: Paul Althaus« (Marburg—soon to appear in the Marburger Theologische Studien). This case study traces Althaus' attempts to establish a »middle path« between the extreme views of Troeltsch and Barth concerning the religions. On the basis of his »Uroffen- barungslehre«, Althaus can conclude, explicitly and implicitly, to surprisingly positive judgments on the religions; but in the light of his doctrine of justification these judgments are obfuscated and even retracted. An uncomfortable tension results. In the final analysis, the Reformational principles of »sola fide« and »solus Christus« force Althaus to draw a quite negative stand to the religions; at the most they can be only a »praeparatio negativa« for salvation in Christ. — Is this the final verdict which every Protestant theologian must voice if he wishes to remain faithful to the Reformers doctrine of justification? Or, more precisely: have present-day German-speaking Protestant theologians gone beyond this basi- cally negative verdict?*

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