Church – Page 2

Die lutherische Kirche in der Gemeinschaft der anderen christlichen Konfessionen und der anderen Religionen

Rainer Stahl, general secretary of Martin Luther Bund (Habichtstrasse 14 A, Erlangen, Germany, D-91056)

rs@martin-luther-bund.de

Stahl R. Die lutherische Kirche in der Gemeinschaft der anderen christlichen Konfessionen und der anderen Religionen, Religiya. Tserkov’. Obshchestvo. Issledovaniya i publikatsii po teologii i religii [Religion. Church. Society: Research and publications in the field of theology and religious studies], Saint-Petersburg, 2014, vol. 3, pp. 42–68.

doi: 10.24411/2308-0698-2014-00004

Language: German

The article describes specifics of the Lutheran identity, mainly relying on the vision of Luther. The author emphasizes conservatism and orthodoxy of the Lutheran Church, drawing parallels between the preaching of Luther and the content of Orthodox icons. Within the Reformation the Rainer Stahl Die lutherische Kirche in der Gemeinschaft… 61 Lutheran tradion was developed, that includes strong attitute to science and education as well as availibility of faith and salvation in ordinary life. However, the relation with other religions is the most accurate for the determination of specifics of this Christian community. The author stresses differences in approaching to the Old Testament by Lutherans and Judaismbelievers. Relations with Islam formed in comprehensive historical situation, when the conquest of the Holy Roman Empire by Turkish troops was a real threat. However, Luther and his fellows devoted a lot of time translating the Quran into German and Latin, and the acquaintance with another tradition was the first step to dialog. The main thesis of the article can be reduced to an understanding of the Lutheran Church as a continuation of the Old Christian Church, that at the same time is open to dialogue (especially with the religions of the Old Testament) and development.

Key words: Martin Luther, Lutherans, Church, Christ

URL: //rcs-almanac.ru/rainer-2014-en/

People of God: historical and theological perspectives

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Juha Pihkala Doctor in theology, docent of dogmatics, University of Helsinki (Universitetsgatan, 4, Helsingfors, Finland, 00100), juha.pihkala@jpihkal.pp.fi

Pihkala J. People of God: historical and theological perspectives, Religiya. Tserkov’. Obshchestvo. Issledovaniya i publikatsii po teologii i religii [Religion. Church. Society: Research and publications in the field of theology and religious studies], Saint-Petersburg, 2016, vol. 5, pp. 18–33.

doi: 10.24411/2308-0698-2016-00002

Language: English

The article discusses the term «People of God» and its theological interpretations. The question is important for theology of religion in the Jewish-Christian context, because this picture is both joining and separating these religions. «People of God» is one of the central terms portraying the Jewish faith-community, but also the Christianity has espoused it, believing to be its successor.
The early Christianity felt, that Christ fulfilled the messianic promises of the Old Testament: in him the People of God got its new King from stock of David. The Jewish community didn’t accept this interpretation. Therefore, the raising Christianity had to detach from them, but not from the Old Testament and the idea of the continuity of the People of God. Paul, for instance, emphasizes, that all the promises given to Jewish people in the Old Testament are still valid. Nonetheless, some other interpretations occurred, which contended quite the opposite: when the Church was born, the Jewish people became derivative. Many conflicts in history had been undoubtly promoted by these interpretations.
The author stresses, that it is not possible to give reasons for such kind of «replacement theology». Even though Christians and Jews now are separated, the one has not substituted the other. There is only one People of God, but it went on two distinct roads. In this context this article also discusses the status of so called Messianic Jews.

Key words: Сhurch, ecclesiology, images of Church, replacement theology, theology, holocaust, continuity

URL: //rcs-almanac.ru/pihkala-j-2016-en/

Truth and tolerance: what are the borders of the acceptable plurality in Christian faith?

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Juha Pihkala Doctor in theology, docent of dogmatics, University of Helsinki (Universitetsgatan, 4, Helsingfors, Finland, 00100), juha.pihkala@jpihkal.pp.fi

Pihkala J. Truth and tolerance: what are the borders of the acceptable plurality in Christian faith?, Religiya. Tserkov’. Obshchestvo. Issledovaniya i publikatsii po teologii i religii [Religion. Church. Society: Research and publications in the field of theology and religious studies], Saint-Petersburg, 2017, vol. 6, pp. 44–67.

doi: 10.24411/2308-0698-2017-00003

Language: English

This article, based on the lecture read in St. Petersburg (24.10.2017), at first discusses the Christian concept of truth. It differs from the philosophical concept of truth, which relies on the commonly accepted knowledge-based arguments. The Christian concept of truth relies on events experienced in history whose existential meaning, it’s most important identity, is recorded in the rule of the faith – regula fidei. Within the core domains of the rule of faith, the Christian concept of truth does not know the tolerance liked by modern thinking. It is, however, also necessary for the Church mission to interpret the rule of the faith in different cultures in their own language and to apply practices that differ from the original. This means: tolerance also is needed. Religious freedom is necessary concerning the assumption of the faith. In the history, however, this freedom has been damaged, causing great harm. When Constantine used the Christian faith as an ideological creator of the unity of the state, he still did not change the old Roman law of religion: the religion of the ruler was also during the Christian era necessarily the religion of the empire. This principle has been followed until the new era (cuius regio, eius religio).

Key words: Confessio Augustana, Luther, Church, creed, confession, Reformation, ecumenism

URL: //rcs-almanac.ru/pihkala-2017-en/