Fünf Thesenpapiere von Falk Wagner

Falk Wagner (1939–1998) was the leading Hegelian in late 20th century German Protestant theology. Wagner who had studied philosophy with Theodor W. Adorno and Wolfgang Cramer in Frankfurt am Main and Systematic Theology with Wolfhart Pannenberg at the University of Mainz taught Systematic Theology at the Universities of Munich and, since 1988, Vienna. He published several influential books. In his lectures and seminars he frequently handed out short theory papers to his students which should serve as the basis for debate. The five texts presented here for the first time deal with the problems of individual in society and of the modern history of theology, with the doctrine of God (creator and trinity), with the significance of the Bible for the systematic theology and finally with the concept of „Subjektivität“ in G. W. F. Hegel’s philosophy. These texts are an essential source for the development of Wagner’s thought when teaching at the university of Munich until 1988.

METHODOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS IN THE RESEARCH OF PENTECOSTAL THEOLOGIANS IN THE NATIONAL PEDAGOGICAL DRAGOMANOV UNIVERSITY

Within the framework of cooperation of the National Pedagogical Dragomanov University with Protestant seminaries and their associations, more than ten defenses of dissertations on Pentecostalism took place. These defenses prove that Pentecostal theologians were able to overcome the closed nature of their own tradition to the development of theology. The ideological leadership of Protestant theology in Ukraine, especially Pentecostal theology, became possible due to the assimilation and development of the best methodological achievements of Western theology of the beginning of the 21st century. Ukrainian Pentecostal theologians actively use the methodology of theological hermeneutics, taking into account the achievements of post-liberal and post-conservative Western theology, modern biblical studies, mission theology and eschatology. The central point for the entire methodology was the recognition of the narrative character of the religious ideology. The analysis of narratives is complemented by the research of key narrative concepts, the research of the interaction of narrative theology and other post-metaphysical methodologies. The vision of the history of Christianity and the history of theology as processes characterized by periodic paradigm shifts allows us to conceptualize narratives and then create new narratives about these stories and about the prospects of both Christianity and theology. A particularly great achievement is the systematic presentation of the history of the Pentecostal movement as the history of communities that have special narratives, cultivate special virtues, and use special narrative concepts.

Evolution of approaches to the problem of the influence of ancient philosophy on christianity

Introduction. The article analyzes various views expressed in domestic and foreign criticism on the problem of the boundaries and the degree of influence of ancient thought on the Christian tradition. The article analyzes the question not only about the distortion of the ancient philosophy of Christianity, but also about the legitimacy of the influence of the "Hellenic" Christianity itself on the cultures of other peoples. Special attention is paid to the analysis of similarities and differences in approaches to this issue in philosophical thought in the West and in Russian philosophy.Materials and Methods. The main material for this article is the monograph of G. V. Florovsky's "Christianity and Civilization: Selected works on theology and Philosophy", as well as an extensive article by P. B. Mikhailov – "The concept of Hellenization of Christianity in the history of theology". In addition, the research material is the works of other domestic and foreign authors analyzing the problem under consideration. The article uses the methods of comparative analysis, generalization and historical and philosophical analysis.Results. The analysis shows that the concept that arose in Protestantism, the substitution of evangelical preaching in the late Christian thought with alien ideas of ancient philosophy, has undergone an evolution. Modern criticism emphasizes that the accusation itself is based on the German philosophy of history, which does not accept the phenomenon of the Gospel as a Tradition, i.e., Traditions. In this way, it divides the Gospel and Tradition and closes the Gospel in a specific historical moment. According to the scholars, it is necessary to distinguish between the declaration of the substitution of the gospel by philosophy as a theoretical assumption, and historical reality, as a process of realization of the Good News that took place in the second century and in subsequent time. At present, the idea of the identity of the internal content of the confessional faith and the diversity of external, cultural forms of its expression is becoming relevant.Discussion and Conclusions. The author of the study managed to conduct a comparative and systematic analysis of the approaches that determine the strength and scope of the influence of ancient philosophy on Christian theology, in the works of both domestic and foreign thinkers. As a result, the author managed to carry out a comprehensive analysis of various approaches in assessing the degree of influence of ancient philosophy on Christian theology, as well as to trace the evolution of these ideas.

Methodology and history of Theology

The textbook provides information about the philosophy of science and theology as academic disciplines. The primary purpose of the manual is not only to inform students about the content of various concepts of religious philosophy, but also to promote their intellectual and spiritual growth. It contains information on several theological disciplines that have only recently been introduced into the educational space of the Russian Federation. Among these are The History and Methodology of Theology, Methods and Tasks of Theology of Western Christian Thought, and The History of Theological Thought in the Russian Orthodox Church. Meets the requirements of the federal state educational standards of higher education of the latest generation. It is intended for students receiving higher education in theological and religious studies specialties.

STEPHEN OF BESANÇON'S PRINCIPIUM IN AULA (1286): AN EPISTEMOLOGICAL APPROACH TO THE RELATION BETWEEN PHILOSOPHY AND THEOLOGY

The inception speeches delivered by graduating masters of theology during the thirteenth century are of paramount interest for the study of the history of theology. Much like the introductions to philosophy written within the Faculty of Arts at Paris during the same period, the so-called principia articulated the image that theology entertained of itself at that time. Interestingly enough, some graduating masters took the opportunity to present a detailed discussion of the relation between philosophy and theology in an attempt to demonstrate the preeminence of the latter. Thus, they reflected not only upon the epistemological status of theology, but also — and sometimes in considerable detail — upon that of the secular sciences. One very eloquent example of such a comparative inception speech is the principium by Stephen of Bensançon (1286), who later became Master General of the Dominican Order. In this article, I focus on Stephen's discussion of the relationship between philosophy and theology, and show that the epistemological criteria he applied to both were drawn directly from one of the most important introductions to philosophy of the thirteenth century, that is, Robert Kilwardby's De ortu scientiarum. Stephen's case yields further evidence, therefore, of the interconnectedness of both genres, that is, philosophical introductions and theological inception speeches, and confirms the productive intellectual exchanges between philosophical and theological discourse at the University of Paris during the thirteenth century.

Origen's Influence on Augustine's teaching of time

The question of time represents the litmus paper on which we can see the underlying ontological view of the author. Reconsideration of influences on this field can help us in better understanding of movement of main thought during the time of the orthodox theology formulation. In our research we have been dedicated to finding the connection and influence between Origen and blessed Augustine. This kind of research can help us improve our overview of theological relations between East and West during the first 4 centuries, because it questions the connection between two great names from history of theology. We will see how, with the help of semantic analysis, the connection between the two theologians is being established. Origens teaching of time represents one creative attempt to formulate Christian understandings in a language of different philosophical schools. In perceiving new influences on Augustines understanding of time, we can contribute to clearer consideration of his thought, which, in the words of Otten, has the strongest implicit influence in Western theology of the early middle age, and in our opinion, that influence is extended all up until today

Isaiah in Greek

This chapter begins by looking at the setting from which the book of Isaiah in Greek first emerged, as well as at the date of its translation, the author behind it, and the maneuvers used in producing it. It then focuses on the various editions of the text and the manuscripts that witness to it. It surveys not only how the research, past and present, has approached this text, but also how this translation has been interpreted in select early Jewish and Christian writings. The chapter also highlights important areas of research that so far remain untouched or await further exploration. The analysis of the history of reception and interpretation of this translation, for instance, sheds light on the hermeneutics employed by the New Testament, as well as on the doctrines that influenced the history of theology. In the end, the chapter calls for more studies being undertaken to explore how Christian writers have employed the Greek Isaiah. Such investigations might yield startling results concerning the principles or the doctrinal motives that guided their exegesis and interpretation, and how the Greek Isaiah was relevant in various cultural contexts, starting with the community from which it first arose.

The Westminster Standards

The Westminster Standards were penned at the end of England’s second Reformation, and symbolized the high-water mark of Protestant scholasticism. The cluster of 1640s texts both codified prior developments in Reformed doctrine and standardized theological vocabulary, with the result that they have played an enduring role in the history of theology. This chapter addresses the unique contributions of the Larger and Shorter Catechisms and the flow and coherence of the Westminster Confession of Faith. Doctrinal topics, and the manner in which the Westminster assembly linked these loci, are discussed, and themes which find their place throughout the Standards are given particular emphasis. Since soteriological concerns dominate the Standards, they are given special attention in this précis. Select revisions of the Standards are also discussed.