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[English Version] I. Fundamentaltheologisch Der Begriff polit. Theol. hat einen gesch. mehrdeutigen Gehalt und reflektiert das Verhältnis des Religionssystems einer Gesellschaft zu deren polit. System (s.a. Staat und Religion). Allerdings geschieht diese Reflexion mit der Absicht, das polit. Handeln der Christen zum vorrangigen Thema der Theol. zu machen…

[German Version] I. Fundamental Theology The term political theology has had various meanings throughout its history, reflecting the relationship of a society’s religious system to its political system (see also state and religion). Of course this relationship is intended to make the political actions of Christians a primary theme of theology. Political theology as a programmatic concept first appeared in the philosophy of the Stoics, who distinguished between mythical, physical or natural, and po…

[English Version] I. Zum Begriff und juristisch Eine allg. akzeptierte Definition des R. existiert nicht. Einigkeit besteht allenfalls darüber, daß das R. im Kern die staatl. institutionalisierte Ordnung menschlicher Beziehungen ist, wobei die Einhaltung der aus ihr fließenden (generellen) Regeln – Befolgung oder aber Sanktionierung von Verstößen – durch legitime physische Gewalt (Staat), jedenfalls aber durch einen durch Zuständigkeits- und Verfahrensnormen orga…

[English Version] I. Religionswissenschaftlich Alle Rel. teilen die Überzeugung, daß den Taten eines Menschen eine über seine gegenwärtige Lebenssituation hinaus wirkende Bedeutung zukommt. Über die Art und Weise jedoch, wie sich der gerechte Ausgleich zw. dem persönlichen Verhalten und dem gegenwärtigen oder kü…

[German Version] I. Religious Studies All religions share the conviction that human actions hold a significance that reaches far beyond a person’s current life situation. On the precise manner in which an equitable balance between personal behavior and current or future life is achieved, however, there is considerable divergence of views – depending on the historical and social context of the respective religion. From the perspective of religious studies, it is advisable to differentiate between the…

[German Version] I. Concept and Legal Definition – II. History of Religion – III. Ancient Near East and Old Testament – IV. Greco-Roman Antiquity – V. New Testament – VI. Dogmatics – VII. Ethics of Law – VIII. Sociology of Law I. Concept and Legal De…

[German Version] I. Church History – II. Law – III. Practical Theology – IV. Systematic Theology I. Church History 1. Early Church The Roman state (Roman Empire) tolerated philosophical atheism and a multitude of…

[German Version] I. Philosophy and Religious Studies – II. Christianity – III. Practical Theology – IV. Church Law – V. Judaism – VI. Islam I. Philosophy and Religious Studies The word “heresy” derives from Gk αἵρεσις/ haíresis (“act of choice,” “decision”). In the Hellenistic period, when a plurality of philosophical schools had developed, the word was used to express the need of budding philosophers to choose between these schools. Hence it came to be used to denote both a philosophical school and the school's teaching; in addition, it was used for schools of medicine. In contrast to Christian usage, it was not a term with negative connotations distinguishing teachings contrary to one's own but a collective term for all ¶ the existing schools, such as Diogenes Laertius (I 19) assembled in a ten-part list. However, the possibility of being able to choose among a growing number of philosophical and religious schools (with rather fluid boundaries between the two domains) – or having to choose (cf. Berger for the modern era) – was the necessary religio-historical condition for the development of doctrinal differences that were categorized as “heresies” in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Religious and philosophical teachings also be…