Another memorable theological proposition
Religion ist Unglaube; Religion ist eine Angelegenheit, man muß geradezu sagen: die Angelegenheit des gottlosen Menschen
Karl Barth, Die Kirchliche Dogmatik, I/2 §17, p.327
posted by Chris Tilling @ 3:14 AM
8 comments
8 Comments:
Sounds just like the tone of his Romans. While I didn't get much on structure from his Romans, I tend to agree with his tone but the message might risk not being heard for the loudness of the tone.
This is Google translates version:
Religion is unbelief, religion is a matter that we must just say that the matter of the wicked people.
Is this what the quotation says?
Martin Buber says :"Nichts verdeckt Gottes Angesicht so wie Religion."
I also like the quote from Romano Guardini: ""Nur wer Gott kennt, kennt den Menschen."
Greetings from the GermanSwiss Border.
Personally I am not so happy with the definition of "religion" that is presupposed here. It is much like some "fundi"-Christians who say: "I'm not religious - I'm a Christian. And Christianity is not a religion." I think it would be better to use a different word than religion, the latter being so clearly defined by sociology as well as by every-day usage.
Hi Plessy, Google has it almost right! It gets the first bit right then, having said "man muß geradezu sagen" Barth says that religion is the affair of godless people.
Greetings Bob,
Certainly Barth's tone is not for everybody!
That is a great point, Volker! I did wonder that in the back of my mind while I wrote it, but you put it so well.
Hi Alex!!
Great to hear from you! We have now moved. I'll let you know our details when I get he phone installed.
It seems that we should read the word "religion" in Barth in dialogue with Soren Kierkegaard's indictment of the Danish church. See also the German title for The Word of God and the Word of Man--The Word of God and Theology, Theologie seeming to carry some of the same implication there that "religion" does in this quotation.
"Nur wer Gott kennt, kennt den Menschen" reminds me of the opening of Calvin's Institutio Christianae Religionis: "Tota fere sapientiae nostrae summa, quae vera demum ac solida sapientia censeri debeat,duabus partibus constat, Dei cognitione et nostri."
Greetings, Timothy, that is a superb point about Kierkegaard and I am sure you are right - its not the old "I'm not religious, I'm Christian" line used by some well-meaning young Christians.
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