Paradoxie in Werner Elerts Grundbestimmung der Dogmatik

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The article tries to understand the category of paradox in the work of Elert not only in opposition to the rational but also in relation to it and thus seeks to analyze the rational function of paradox in Elert's conception of the foundation of dogmatics. The paradox in question here is not the so-called christological paradox. It is first the paradox of the deus absconditus which characterizes in a certain respect the natural relation of humans to God (I). This paradox allows no immanent solution at all in accordance with all natural conceptions of a rational understanding of the world. As such it characterizes in several respects the understanding of the gospel as its only transcendent solution (II). In so far as the gospel in a certain way presupposes an acknowledgment of that paradox it must be considered as paradoxical itself, thus being a paradox solution of the former paradox. Its paradox character is essentialy due to a genuine Lutheran understanding of justification emphazising the dependence of certainty of faith on the iustitia aliena; the paradox character of the gospel can finally be considered as the paradoxality determining the relation of law and gospel (III). This paradoxality related to the gospel thus has a basic systematic function by determining the condition under which the testimony of Christ is perceived as word of God himself -this word strictly being separated from the - paradox - experience of natural existence under the abscondity of God. Elert indeed does not relate the gospel to natural existence in a way of rational correlation nor does he simply replace correlation by mere confrontation. He rather establishes the correlation between the kerygma of Christ and natural existence in a way of paradoxical connexion (Anknupfung) as confrontation with the paradoxality of natural existence itself (IV).