Church and world : the loss of distinction in twentieth century theology
I. In twentieth century Protestant theology there has been a loss of ontological distinction between the Church and the world. By this is meant a distinction in being, in essence. That this is so is demonstrated by an analysis of four major theologians. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, holding that reality is restructured in Christ, the Incarnate One, raised the question about his concrete place in the world. By following out the implications of his Lutheran incarnationalism, he in the end answered that the whole world is the place of restructured reality. The result is a dissolution of the sacred-profane distinction. God has fully entered the reality of this world, and this world fully participates in the reality of God. Paul Tillich sought to protect the radical otherness of God. By defining God as 'being-itself,' however, he ironically was left with a thorough-going immanentalism. His ontology swept away the distinctions between God and humanity, faith and disbelief, the Church and the world. Wolfhart Pannenberg's concern is for wholeness. In Christ, we learn that God is the power of the future. This means that the future is both the beginning and the end: all things flow out of the future, and toward it, in an unbroken
McCullough, Donald Wayne
Philosophy
Church and world : the loss of distinction in twentieth century theology. I. In twentieth century Protestant theology there has been a loss of ontological distinction between the Church and the world. By this is meant a distinction in being, in essence. That this is so is demonstrated by an analysis of four major theologians. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, holding that reality is restructured in Christ, the Incarnate One, raised the question about his concrete place in the world. By following out the implications of his Lutheran incarnationalism, he in the end answered that the whole world is the place of restructured reality. The result is a dissolution of the sacred-profane distinction. God has fully entered the reality of this world, and this world fully participates in the reality of God. Paul Tillich sought to protect the radical otherness of God. By defining God as 'being-itself,' however, he ironically was left with a thorough-going immanentalism. His ontology swept away the distinctions between God and humanity, faith and disbelief, the Church and the world. Wolfhart Pannenberg's concern is for wholeness. In Christ, we learn that God is the power of the future. This means that the future is both the beginning and the end: all things flow out of the future, and toward it, in an unbroken
church world loss distinction theology protestant theology loss ontological distinction church world meant distinction essence demonstrate analysis four_major theologian hold reality restructure christ incarnate raise_question concrete place world follow implication lutheran end answer whole world place restructure reality dissolution sacred profane distinction god fully enter reality world world fully participate reality god paul_tillich seek protect radical otherness god define god being itself however ironically leave thorough going ontology sweep away distinction god humanity faith church world concern wholeness christ learn god power future mean future begin_end thing flow future toward