Christology in total crisis

Christoph Schwöbel’s „Christologie und trinitarische Theologie“ is a fine essay is found in Schwöbel’s (highly recommended) book, Gott in Beziehung Gott: Studien zur Dogmatik (Mohr Siebeck, 2002). In the first (of five) parts, he describes what he calls Christologie in der Krise.

Schwöbel with Mr Miyagi Prof. Eiichi Katayanaga

Drawing largely on an essay by W. Härle, he makes three points. First, with reference to Lessing, is the antinomy between the “Historischen” and the “Letztgültigen” (or ultimate). This contrast can take many forms, and can label, for example the antinomies between contingent and necessary being, temporal and eternal, historical and metaphysical, functional and ontological etc. This then reflects the divide between biblical exegesis, on the one hand, and dogmatic theology on the others. The former is a historical discipline, while the latter concerns itself with metaphysical and ultimate. In systematic this is described, he adds, as a distinction between christologies “from below” and “from above”.

The second antinomy, again with reference to Lessing, is that between the past and the present. ‘Es scheint in der modernen Christologie nicht länger möglich zu sein, ein integriertes Bild von Jesu Christi Vergangenheit und von seiner Gegenwart für uns und für die Welt zu entwerfen‘ (261). This contrast is then felt in the question as to whether Christology should begin with the historical Jesus, or with the presence of the risen Lord of Christian confession.

Third, Schwöbel outlines the disjunction between ‘Sein’ and ‘Sinn’, ‘being’ and ‘meaning’. Famously, this contrast found expression, he argues, in Melanchthon’s dictum, ‘To know Christ is to know his benefits’ as well as in Bultmann’s kerygma. Here we see the fault lines between the Person and Work of Christ, between soteriology (meaning) and Christology (metaphysical speculation on being). We are often left with non-soteriological ontology or non-ontological soteriology.

These three antinomies confronts us, Schwöbel maintains, with a modern christological crisis which is a picture of disintegration.

What do you think? Fair cop?