Theological Studies in Japan

Diese Abhandlung soll erklären, wie Eberhard Jüngel die natürliche Theologie behandelt. Um 1975 hat er einige Abhandlungen veröffentlicht, wo es sich um die natürliche Theologie kritisch handelt. Nach seiner Meinung erweckte der deutschsprachige Protestantismus damals für sie wieder Interesse. Zu dieser Neigung innerhalb der evangelischen Theologie hat Jüngel eine kritische Stellung genommen, obwohl er eigentlich in der natürlichen Theologie Gültigkeiten findet, weil sie die Universalität der Offenbarung gewährleistet und für allen Menschen die christliche Offenbarung sinnvoll macht. Unter seiner kritischen Sicht besteht das Problem bei der natürlichen Theologie erstens darin, daß die Ungläubigen zum Versuch, sie zu entwerfen, ihre Zustimmung nicht immer geben können, zweitens daß er die Offenbarung selbst sachlich nicht nur erreichen, sondern auch Gottes Sein nicht angemessen ausdrücken kann. Zuletzt wird die Rechtfertigungslehre unter der Betonung der Kosmologie in der natürlichen Theologie in die unsichere Lage versetzt.

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This article examines the development of “Queer Theology" as a theological response to "Queer Theory." Queer theory focuses on differences among heterosexuals/homosexuals and questions the essentialist idea of sexual identity. It argues against the normativity of heterosexuality and aims to transcend the dualistic thinking of heterosexuality and homosexuality. Thus, queer theology incorporates such features of queer theory into theology. In summary, it is theology practiced by queer Christians, opposing theological heteronormativity and exploring queer things in Christianity. For the debate on homosexuality in Christianity, in a sense, queer theology seems to weaken lesbian/gay liberation based on its view of stable human sexuality owing to Creation by its constructionist position or to result in sexual lawlessness because of its position outside the norm. On the other hand, it warns of idolatry by demonstrating that normalization is always done by humans, reveals that heteronormativity leads to violence such as discrimination or oppression and consequently seems to encourage a more ethical view as a whole.

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Studies of the history of thought had long been pursued within the framework of the “author-to-reader" relationship as an analysis of how readers or researchers perceive a “thinker-as-author," or the text written and expressed by the author. Since the modern period, however, it has become possible to pursue academic studies outside universities and academic institutions. This brought the end to the monopoly of thought by a small number of intellectual circles. It expanded the market of thought beyond specialists, such as university faculties and members of academic societies, to the general public. At this critical juncture of the collapse of the “author-reader" framework, the “editor" emerged as the promoter of knowledge in between the author and the reader. The function of the editor in this sense went well beyond the management side of publishing activities; the editor came to engage actively in the issues of thought. This article seeks to provide an analysis of the significance of this shift of editorial duties and the place the editor occupies within the studies of the history of thought by considering the case of Eugen Diederichs.

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One of Philo's apologetic and historical writings, De Vita Mosis, is regarded as the only treatise which shows his systematic understanding of Moses, and which expounds on the religious significance of Moses' life with a non-Jewish audience in mind. He highlights the four functionary roles of Moses: 1) as king, 2) as legislator, 3) as high priest, 4) as prophet. Among these four offices, Moses ‛necessarily' obtains the office of prophet in order to divinely guide the ordinary people who are singularly dependent upon common human reasoning. Divinely inspired prophecy communicates a realm of authority incomprehensible to common human rational. At this point, Philo clearly contrasts the providence of God expressed through prophecy to finite human reasoning and mind. According to Philo, such prophecy is classified into three types: that directly spoken by God with His prophet for interpreter, that revealed through question and answer, and that discerned by the inspired person. This essay, which hones in on the prophetic function of Moses, attempts to clarify both the interrelatedness and the cohesiveness of Moses' four-fold ministry as well as of his three-tiered prophetic activity.

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