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[German Version] “Father” describes the triune God in relation to humanity (Child of God) and sets one of the three divine persons in relation to the other two. The Father is ontologically primary. In the Christ event, the intra-trinitarian relations become evident (Trinity, Christology); the address “Abba” (Mk 14:36) expressed the special relationship of God the Son to the Father and early Christianity adopted this in speaking of God as the “Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Cor 1:3; Eph 1:3, e…

[German Version] In the epistemology of theology, the terms intrinsic and extrinsic refer to the relationship between fundamental theological reflection and the contents of the Christian faith. This relationship is described as intrinsic when the contents of faith are the subject of fundamental theological argumentation. K. Rahner, in particular, criticized fundamental theological extrinsicism. In the doctrine of grace, the terms intrinsic and extrinsic describe the relationship between nature and…

[German Version] I. Religious Studies – II. Philosophy – III. Dogmatics – IV. Ethics – V. Practical Theology I. Religious Studies Identity is not in the classical repertoire of religious studies and the sociology of religion. But the central problem of social identity, formulated as a question, makes its religious significance obvious: “Where do we come from?” is answered by creation (I) myths that refer to an original identity; “Who are we?” and “Where are we going?” are answered by religious promises and conc…

[German Version] I. History of Religions – II. Bible – III. Dogmatics – IV. Social Ethics – V. Social Sciences, Education, and Practical Theology I. History of Religions Some cultures draw a clear distinction between religious matters and medical, legal, political, and other concerns; other cultures do not. For the latter, religion includes everything that is of importance to human beings. 1. Newborn children a. Acceptance. In some cultures, an examination takes place to determine whether the newborn is really a human being and not a spirit. Others ch…

[German Version] I. Old Testament – II. New Testament – III. Christianity – IV. Judaism I. Old Testament The Hebrew Bible can designate both individuals and groups as children (cf. e.g. Deut 32:5) or as sons and daughters of YHWH (cf. e.g. Deut 32:19). This usage occurs elsewhere in the ancient Near East to describe members of a deity's cultic community. The concept of childhood should be understood as mediated through creation (Deut 32:6; Isa 45:11; 64:8) or covenant (Isa 1:2, 4; Mal …