Volume 47, Issue 4

The theological concept of creatio ex nihilo (“creation from nothing”) pointedly expresses the sola gratia (“by grace alone”) for the doctrine of creation. Natural sciences reflecting upon the boundaries of their knowledge, philosophy inquiring metaphysical problems and theology converge on the perception of nothingness. But they differ deeply in their way of perceiving and entitling it. The present article deals with the soteriological implications of the metaphysical concept of nothingness in the early Heidegger in the light of Karl Barth's account of nothingness ( Das Nichtige ). Against this background, different phenomena observed and interpreted by psychology and sociology are examined as to their soteriological implications. Thus, the radical way of perception and the liberating challenge implied in the concept of creatio ex nihilo become apparent.

The dialogue “De Deo abscondito”, composed by Nicolas of Cues in ca. 1445, is dedicated to the epistemological problem whether and to what extent God can be known. Nicolas is continuing here the train of thought of his most important work “De docta ignorantia”. In both works, Nicolas comes to the conclusion that God can neither be known and described via positionis nor via negationis . Rather, God precedes any expressible truth and, what is more, any thought that could be thought about him. Thus, Nicolas goes beyond Anselm's argument for God's existence. The existence of God and the reason for worshipping him is manifested exactly by the impossibility of knowing or proving that existence. For human beings, the essence of God remains absconditas . The question whether the conception of the hidden God in Nicolas of Cues has influenced Luther cannot be definitely solved historically; a direct influence is rather improbable. At any rate, there is no theological parallel between the two, as Luther's concept of the Deus absconditus does not respond to an epistemological problem. It rather concerns the divine will in its opposition to the human will and responds to a soteriological problem in the light of the revelation in Christ.

This article discusses the history of the concepts of potential infinity and actual infinity in the context of Christian theology, mathematical thinking and metaphysical reasoning. It shows that the structure of Ancient Greek rationality could not go beyond the concept of potential infinity, which is highlighted in Aristotle's metaphysics. The limitations of the metaphysical mind of ancient Greece were overcome through Christian theology and its concept of the infinite God, as formulated in Gregory of Nyssa's theology. That is how the concept of actual infinity emerged. However, Gregory of Nyssa's understanding of human rationality went still further. He said that access to the infinity of God was to be found only in an asymptotic ascension, as expressed in apophatic theology, and this view endangered the rationality of theology. Deeply influenced by the apophatic tradition, Nicholas of Cusa avoided this danger by showing that infinity could be accessed by symbolic representation and asymptotic mathematical reasoning. Thus, he made an immense contribution in making infinity rationally accessible. This endeavor was finally realized by Georg Cantor. This rational accessibility revealed discernible structures of infinity, such as the continuum hypothesis, and the cardinal numbers. However, the probable logical inconsistency of Georg Cantor's all-encompassing Absolute Infinity points to an intuitive understanding of infinity that goes beyond its rational structures – as in apophatic theology. Zusammenfassung In diesem Artikel wird die Geschichte der Entwicklung des Konzepts der potenziellen Unendlichkeit und der aktualen Unendlichkeit im Kontext des gegenseitigen Einflusses christlicher Theologie, mathematischen und metaphysischen Denkens diskutiert. Es wird deutlich, dass die Struktur der antiken griechischen Rationalität nicht über das Konzept der potenziellen Unendlichkeit hinausgehen konnte, so wie es in der Metaphysik des Aristoteles zum Ausdruck kommt. Erst durch die christliche Theologie und ihr Konzept des unendlichen Gottes, wie es in Gregor von Nyssas Theologie formuliert wurde, konnten die Beschränkungen der griechischen Metaphysik überwunden werden. Auf diese Weise entstand das Konzept der aktualen Unendlichkeit. Doch gab es auch in Gregor von Nyssas Theologie für die menschliche Rationalität keinen anderen Zugang zur Unendlichkeit Gottes als durch asymptotischen Aufstieg, wie er in der apophatischen Theologie zum Ausdruck kommt. Auf diese Weise gefährdet sie die Rationalität der Theologie. Von der apophatischen Tradition tief beeinflusst, befreit Nikolaus von Kues die Theologie von dieser Gefahr, indem er zeigt, dass die Unendlichkeit durch symbolische Repräsentation und asymptotisches mathematisches Denken zugänglich ist. Auf diese Weise hat Nikolaus von Kues sehr dazu beigetragen, die Unendlichkeit rational zugänglich zu machen, ein Unternehmen, das dann durch Georg Cantor endgültig realisiert wurde. Diese rationale Zugänglichkeit offenbart unterscheidbare Strukturen im Unendlichen, wie die Kontinuumshypothese und die Mächtigkeit. Aber die potenzielle logische Inkonsistenz von Georg Cantors allumfassender absoluter Unendlichkeit weist wieder auf ein intuitives Verständnis von Unendlichkeit, das über die rationalen Strukturen der Unendlichkeit hinausgeht – so wie in der apophatischen Theologie.

According to common sense ethics and mathematics are nearly disjoint. To the contrary, this paper fosters the view that it is highly desirable to develop a relation between these two perspectives and it tries to do first steps towards this goal.

The theological contribution of the problem of time is introduced in dialogue with the philosophy of E. Lévinas. What is the contribution of understanding time for the theological interpretation of the world? It has reintroduced eschatology to the center of theological discussions in the 20th century. It also moves Koreans to reexamine the scope and the limit of the European thought of time in the context of Far-Eastern religious background. Though Lévinas' understanding of time as the possibility of responsible relationship with others in ethical aspects is compatible with Far-Easterners' understanding of time, there are many contrasting aspects of the experience of time, especially in Shamanism, Buddhism, and Confucianism.

Since Aristotle the traditional definition of individuation has been considered on the basis of ousiological difference, i.e. in the sense of a categorization of the appearing in terms of language and judgment. In contrast, classical phenomenology has conceived the process of individuation with reference to the inner-temporal localization within the field of consciousness (or to Dasein ). Thereby the pure difference of appearing/appearances turns out to be the transcendental fact of individuation. But even in this phenomenological perspective the original relationship to absolute Life, taking place unmortgaged by Being, remains unthought. If, consequently, we take into account this radical reciprocity of absolute Life and the individual as the primal-individuation in the sense of an exclusively “affective difference”, a deeply-rooted affinity to the christological account on incarnation becomes visible. This reciprocity's facticity, which itself has not been created by philosophy, is taken for granted in every philosophical determination or position. Consequently, we have to understand that every philosophical performance in the sense of an ever individuated self-performance originates from this christologically founded individuation.

The most important works of Edmund Schlink (1903–1984) concerning the ecumenical theology will be published in a new edition. The lectures contained in the first volume of this edition (2004) emphasize: ecumene can be received by God. Man contributes to ecumene by penance, by overcoming of theological reductionisms.

Stefan Heuser: Menschenwürde. Eine theologische Erkundung (Ethik im theologischen Diskurs 8), Münster 2004.