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[English Version] . In den Sendschreiben an die Gemeinde von Ephesus erwähnt der Seher Johannes in Apk 2,6 die Nikolaiten (N.), deren Werke von der Gemeinde gehaßt wurden. Nochmals werden die N. in dem Sendschreiben nach Pergamon im Zusammenhang mit Menschen, die der Lehre Bileams anhängen (Apk 2,14f.), erwähnt. Die N., die Anhänger Bileams und auch die in Apk 2,20 erwähnten Anhänger der Prophetin Isebel vertreten eine Lehre, die durch die Stichworte »Götzenopferfleisch« und »Unzucht« beschrieben …

[German Version] In his letter to the church in Ephesus, in Rev 2:6 John the Seer mentions the Nicolaitans, whose works that church hates. They are mentioned again in the letter to Pergamum in connection with people who hold to the teaching of Balaam (2:14f.). The Nicolaitans, the followers of Balaam, and the followers of the prophetess Jezebel (2:20) are adherents of a teaching described as involving “food sacrificed to idols” and “fornication.” It is reasonable to assume that John’s opponents are groups belonging to the same theological movement; most scholars assume that the “false teachers” in Ephesus and Pergamum are the same people. The information in the letters therefore makes it possible to define the position of the Nicolaitans in more detail. Within the New Testament, their name harks back to the deacon Nicholas mentioned in Acts 6:5, one of the Jerusalem seven. The patristic tradition begins with Irenaeu…

[German Version] A pseudepigraphical document from a Jewish-Christian milieu traditionally assigned to the Catholic Epistles that claims to have been written by Judas (v. 1; cf. Mark 6:3) the brother of the Lord (Brothers and Sisters of Jesus). It was apparently composed between 80 and 120 ce. Scholarly suggestions for possible places of origin include the Syro-Palestinian area, Asia Minor, and also Alexandria because of its reception by Clement of Alexandria ( Stromata, III 2.11; Paedagogus, III 8.44). In dispute with intruding opponents (v. 4), who apparently participate in the Lord's Supper (v. 12) and have found adherents and sympathizers in the community (vv. 22f.), Jude reminds its readers – through two sets of three examples from the Old Testament (vv. 5–7, 11) and reference to the words of the apostles – of the common holy faith, their mutual love, and the expectation of the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ in the coming judgment (vv. 20f.…

[English Version] I. ReligionsgeschichtlichIn der eur. christl. Theol. wurde die Lehre vom V. (lat. meritum) zu einem kontroverstheol. Thema, an dem man (zumindest auf prot. Seite) glaubte, den grundlegenden Unterschied zw. Katholizismus und Luthertum bes. deutlich festmachen zu können (s.u. IV.). Die religionswiss. Diskussion hat gezeigt, daß die Verwendung eines derart theol. aufgeladenen Begriffes als…

[German Version] I. Religious Studies – II. Judaism – III. New Testament – IV. History of Dogma – V. Dogmatics – VI. Ethics – VII. Ecumenics I. Religious Studies In European Christian theology the doctrine of merit (Lat. meritum) became a controversial subject, by which (at least on the Protestant side) it was thought possible to demonstrate with particular clarity the basic difference between Catholicism and Lutheranism (see IV below). Discussion in religious studies has shown that the use of such a theologically loaded concept as an analytic category for comparison of religions encounters virtually insoluble problems. For this reason the con-¶ cept of merit is now scarcely used in religious studies. The only exception is Buddhism, where the translation of the Sanskrit puṇya and kuśala (in Pali puñña, kusala) by “merit” has become established. Understood in this sense, merit – in connection with the idea of karma – forms a central Buddhist concept that has found its most important expression in great popular story collections (e.g. Jātakas, Avadānas [Pali Apadānas]). Among possible meritorious actions it is especially almsgiving ( dāna) to monks or orders ( Saṃgha ) that is most commonly practice…

[English Version] I. Religionsgeschichtlich Es gehört zur conditio humana, die Alltagssituationen meistern zu müssen und in ihren Bruchstellen zu bestehen. Dazu benötigen die Mitglieder jeder Gesellschaft griffige Verhaltenskodizes, um in den vielfältigen Krisen überleben zu können. Leben und Sterben, Zeit und Ewigkeit, Sinn und Unsinn markieren solche Bruchstellen sowohl im Einzelschicksal wie im Weltgeschehen. Die Antworten, welche von Kulturen und Rel. auf diese Fragen gegeben werden, dokumentieren die Sehnsucht nach U. 1.  Modelle Systematisierend lassen sich in der Religionsgesch. verschiedene Modelle und Formen beschreiben, nach denen U. ausgestaltet wird. Kultur- und religionsgesch. können folgende Strategien der Darstellung, des Tuns und der Symbolisierung beobachtet werden, mit denen dem Schicksal des Todes Unsterblichkeitshorizonte entgegengestellt werden: a)  Materiell-physisch: Sowohl in archaischen als auch in modernen Arrangements soll das Überleben durch physische Prozeduren garantiert werden: u.a. Nahrung und Blumen ins Grab legen, Wiederbe…

[German Version] I. Religious Studies – II. Philosophy of Religion – III. Christianity – IV. Taoism I. Religious Studies It is inherent in the conditio humana that we are forced to master everyday situations and withstand critical moments. To do so, members of every society need handy codes of conduct to survive the manifold crises. Life and death, time and eternity, meaning and meaninglessness mark such critical moments in both individual lives and the course of the world. The responses of cultures and religions to these questions document our yearning for immortality. 1. Models We can list systematically the various models and forms that religions have used to frame their ideas of immortality. The following strategies for representation, …