Nr. 14 (1997)

Bhakti and Christian Faith
according to Rudolf Otto (1869-1937)

Nr. 14 (1997)

von Heinz Röhr

[Translated from German by Michael Vogt]

This study is obliged to the „Marburg School of the Science of Religions“ (R. Otto, H. Frick, K. Goldammer, E. Benz). The methodological concept follows the comparison of religions, as it is classically demonstrated by R. Otto in his work about „West-östliche Mystik“[1] concerning the contrasting of Shankara and Meister Eckhart. That the comparison of the figures of the masters which is practised in this school may yield good results is also proved by G. Mensching, Otto’s disciple in Bonn, in his book on „Buddha und Christus – ein Vergleich“[2] and H. Frick, Otto’s successor on the Marburg chair in Systematic Theology, in his early treatise

„Nr. 14 (1997)“ weiterlesen

Nr. 13 (1997)

Minorities in a Democracy with Special Reference to India

Nr. 13 (1997)

von James Massey (Delhi)

I am proposing to deal with my subject „Minorities in a Democracy with special reference to India“ under the following heads: A Recent Case; Nature and Relationship, Formation and Responses; Concluding Remarks.

  1. A Recent Case

I became a member of the National Commission for Minorities on 3rd of December, 1996. This means I have now

„Nr. 13 (1997)“ weiterlesen

Nr. 12b (1997)

Historical Theology and Inter-Religious Dialogue

„….in no other than the human form is it possible for beings to experience and become acquainted with my real existence.“

Nr. 12b (1997)

von Matthias Benad

That God has to become man in order to reveal the being of God to mankind is a belief not only held by Christianity. In Bhagavata Purana, one of the holy scriptures of Hinduism, God Vishnu speaks the sentence quoted above when he is incarnated as Krishna. In a world getting ever smaller, awareness of other religions gains more and more importance. It is my purpose to show what contribution the theological field I represent, ecclesiastical history or historical theology,1 may make towards getting to know other religions and seeking dialogue with them. I will use the worship of Krishna in the following text to exemplify my propositions.2

My explanations are set out in five parts:

„Nr. 12b (1997)“ weiterlesen

Nr. 12a (1997)

Historische Theologie und interreligiöser Dialog

„… in keiner anderen als der menschlichen Gestalt ist es möglich,

daß die Wesen mein wirkliches Sein erfahren und kennenlernen.“

Nr. 12a (1997)

von Matthias Benad

Daß Gott Mensch werden müsse, um den Menschen das Wesen Gottes zu offenbaren, ist kein ausschließlich im Christentum verbreiteter Gedanke. Im Bhagavata Purana, einer der heiligen Schriften der Hindus, spricht Gott Vishnu bei Gelegenheit seiner Menschwerdung als Krishna den oben zitierten Satz. In einer immer kleiner werdenden Welt gewinnt die gegenseitige Wahrnehmung der Religionen immer größere Bedeutung. Meine Absicht ist es, mich im folgenden darüber zu äußern, welchen Beitrag die von mir vertretene theologische Disziplin, die Kirchengeschichte oder historische Theologie[1], dazu leisten kann, andere Religionen zur Kenntnis zu nehmen und das Gespräch mit ihnen zu suchen. Als Bezugspunkt dient mir im folgenden die Krishna-Verehrung [2]. Meine Ausführungen gliedern sich in fünf Abschnitte:

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Nr. 11 (1997)

The Religion of the ISKCON Vaishnavas in the Perspectives of Diacritical Theology

Nr. 11 (1997)

von Edmund Weber

In Germany, theological studies on the Hindu religion of the International Society of Krishna Consciousness and its Vaishnava theology are still only just beginning. Previously this relevant task was left mostly to religio-political polemics, resulting in a politically highly problematic research deficit which seriously impeded the necessary social and clerical confrontation with these new religious impulses in the German society. But theological passiveness and polemic activism

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Nr. 10 (1997)

Inter-Religious Dialogue in India with Special Reference to Islam: Positions, Experiences and Reflections

Nr. 10 (1997)

von James Massey (Delhi)*

  1. Introduction

As both time and space at hand for this presentation** is limited, therefore instead of a longer introductory note, here a move is made to deal with the given subject straight. In the second section the background both historical and theological is discussed, which win state the position of the inter-religious dialogue in India. The third section will deal with the involvement and experiences of the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches in the field of inter-religious dialogue. The fourth section deals with other living religions specially Islam. Finally in section five concluding remarks are given in the form of reflections and in section six, the notes and references are listed.

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Nr. 09 (1997)

On Inter-Religious Relations with Special Reference to Indian Religious Festivals

Nr. 09 (1997)

von James Massey (Delhi)*

In recent years the role of ‚religion‘ has generally been considered in the negative term, specially in India. Today, it may be a Kashmir or Punjab problem in North India, but all such problems are attributed to ‚religion‘. But that is when ‚religion‘ is used at the higher level either by a state or sub-state, or by larger religious communities to protect their special interests. One such good example is of the Babri-Ramjanambhoomi conflict, over a Mosque and Temple,

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Nr. 08 (1997)

Friedrich Heiler und Indien

Nr. 08 (1997)

von Heinz Röhr

Von F. Max Müller (1823-1900), dem englischen, deutschgebürtigen Religionsforscher und Herausgeber der „Sacred Books of the East“, den Friedrich Heiler sehr verehrte, wird erzählt, er habe fast täglich das Bild der heiligen Stadt Benares auf seiner Tabaksdose meditiert. Nach Indien gefahren sei er aber nie, um sich nicht der häßlichen Alltagswirklichkeit des Subkontinents auszusetzen. Heiler dagegen war in Indien, und zwar während seiner achtmonatigen Ostasienreise (1958/59). Hier soll aber nicht Heilers

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Nr. 07 (1997)

Der Hinduismus im Schulunterricht
Ein trauriges Kapitel deutscher Religionspädagogik

Nr. 07 (1997)

von Jürgen Redhardt

„Die indischen Götzen, die sind mir ein Greuel“, soll Goethe, der übrigens dem Islam durchaus zugetan war, ungestraft von sich gegeben haben. Sollte er wirklich viel von dem gewußt und begriffen haben, was er da voreilig diffamierte? Oder muß man ihm das Diktum B. Brechts aus dessen „Leben des Galilei“ zugute halten: „Es ist nicht alles groß, / was ein großer Mann tut, / Und Galilei aß gern gut“?! Wir jedenfalls sind weder Goethe noch leben wir in einer ähnlichen Epoche solch diffuser Unkenntnis,

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Nr. 06 (1997)

Modern Hindu Culture
A Study on Modernization of Hinduism by Considering the Parallels in Modern Christianity

Nr. 06 (1997)

von Edmund Weber

The Christian culture experienced a deep-going change with the uprising of the Civil Society („Bürgerliche Gesellschaft“), the industrialization of economic production, the urbanization of life-style and the individualization of religiosity in the 19th century. The Christian formation of inner- and outer-world in those days became obsolete. From this conflict the civil or modern Christianity originated. In a painful changing process most of the people of this new society have newly interpreted religion, moral and ritual of traditional Christianity and created to their new conditions of

„Nr. 06 (1997)“ weiterlesen