Journalartikel

Jahr der Veröffentlichung: 2011

Seiten: 3-23

Zeitschrift: ET studies : journal of the European Society for Catholic Theology

Bandnummer: 2

Heftnummer: 1

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.2143/ETS.2.1.2157482

Verlag: Peeters

Abstract: 

Studies in religious education reveal one crucial insight: to bring home the existential relevance of Jesus Christ is getting more and more difficult in schools as well as in any pastoral setting. Contemporary students seem unable to recognize how the biblical story of Jesus can touch them existentially. For socially deprived young people this is even more so: Christ appears daunting to them, since he is tied to social institutions and conditions from which they are traditionally excluded. For the current Christological discourse it is an hermeneutical imperative to resist such developments and interpretations. Given the theological interpretation of Jesus, it is necessary to stress both the relevance and the liberating message of the Christ-event particularly for suffering and marginalized people. Against this background there is a need to reinforce the practical and political dimensions of Christology with solid arguments. For that reason this article refers to a Christological model that is both praxis-oriented and socio-politically grounded: the so-called 'Christopraxis'-approach, developed by contemporary fundamental theologian Edmund Arens (Lucerne) in the 1990s, is based on the theory of action and stands in the tradition of political theology (J.B. Metz, H. Peukert). Arens’ approach is here reconstructed, showing its epistemological foundation in the theory of action (J. Habermas et al.) and its application in Christology. Yet there remains in both reconstruction and application at least one shortcoming. Admittedly, Arens succeeds in showing the practical dimension of the Christ-event as, for example, in Jesus’ reality-transforming symbolic actions (healings, etc.). Moreover Arens sheds new light on Jesus’ actions insofar as they reveal the motif of solidarity with the excluded (paradigmatically shown with the lepers) and thus carrying (socio-)political connotations. However, Arens lowers his sights disappointingly on the 'material aspect' of Christological discourse by almost dismissing the biblically rooted and dogmatically developed 'Christology from above'. Taking up Arens’ approach critically yet going beyond it, the two classic motifs of a 'descending Christology' and a 'theology of pre-existence' (cf. Phil. 2.7) are integrated into Arens’ 'christopractical' perspective: The interpretative model of the 'Kenosis of Christ' is part of the ethical framework in the Letter to the Philippians and clearly displays (socio-)political connotations. With this in mind the article attempts an interpretation of kenotic Christology with a (socio-)political bent. Such a political-theological 'Christology from above', focussed on the motif of Kenosis and geared towards an ethics of solidarity, is particularly relevant for a society which is – as current research in social science shows – marred by ongoing exclusion and deep social rifts.

Harvard-Zitierstil: Kreutzer, A. (2011) Solidarität und Kenosis : die Perspektive der „Christopraxis“, ET studies : journal of the European Society for Catholic Theology, 2(1), pp. 3-23. https://doi.org/10.2143/ETS.2.1.2157482

APA-Zitierstil: Kreutzer, A. (2011). Solidarität und Kenosis : die Perspektive der „Christopraxis“. ET studies : journal of the European Society for Catholic Theology. 2(1), 3-23. https://doi.org/10.2143/ETS.2.1.2157482