Studentenalmanak 1960 - pagina 216
Bultmann in his famous essay on „Das Problem der Entmythologi-
sierung der neutestamentlichen Verkündigung", published originally
in 1941, appeals to the eschatological message of the New Testament
in support of his case for regarding the New Testament world-view
and proclamation as obsolete:
„ T h e mythical eschatology is untenable for the simple reason that
the parousia of Christ never took place as the New Testament
expected. History did not come to an end and, as every school
boy knows, it will continue to run its course. Even if we believe
that the world as we know it wül come to an end in time, we expect
the end to take the form of a natural catastrophe, not of a mythical
event such as the New Testament expects."
If every school boy knows that history will continue to run its
course, and that an end to present history connected with the
return of Jesus Christ may not be awaited, surely every University
student will be even more confident of these conclusions! I shall
not dwell upon the meaning of Bultmann's statement in detail nor
shall I labor the unavoidable question as to how Bultmann himself
can be so confident regarding the non-occurrence of future events.
My present purpose is chiefly to call attention to the currency of
a profoundly negative attitude toward eschatology in the world
about us.
Scholars who hold to such views, and yet remain within the
Christian tradition, indeed often make much of the significance
of „eschatology." They seek by way of reinterpretation (Bultmann
by way ot Entmjthologisiermg) to discover the inner and permanent
significance of N e w Testament eschatology. When they do so,
however, they commonly end up with a virtual denial of eschatology.
Thus Bultmann insists that the kingdom of God, though presented
in the New Testament in terms of the future, may never properly
be regarded as a future something which may become a present
something. The „future" deliverance by God, he maintains, wiU
never arrive as a state of rest and salvation. It is accordingly ironical
that, precisely in a time when modern scholars are occupied as
never before with the „eschatological" character of the Christian
message, they commonly repudiate what the Christian Church has
historically subsumed under this designation.
To be sure these modern perspectives may be quite uncongenial
and unacceptable to us who are members of the Free University
community. Nevertheless, we cannot fail to reckon with them
because of the vigor and effectiveness with which they are being
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Bekijk de hele uitgave van vrijdag 1 januari 1960
Studentenalmanak | 350 Pagina's
Bekijk de hele uitgave van vrijdag 1 januari 1960
Studentenalmanak | 350 Pagina's