Abstract
Rudolf Bultmann’s understanding of freedom. This article is a reworked version of a paper delivered at a symposium on the life and work of Rudolf Bultmann who was born on the 20th August 1884. The article deals with Bultmann’s understanding of Christian freedom. Three articles of Bultmann on freedom are presented and evaluated: (1) Grace and freedom – 1948; (2) The importance of freedom for European culture – 1952; (3) The idea of freedom in antiquity and Christianity – 1959. The relevancy of Bultmann’s theology is explained to present-day Afrikaans speaking people. Bultmann’s theology is not only presented as relevant, but also as an important guideline for Reformational thinking. Bultmann is presented as a credible Lutheran theologian. His explanation of the doctrine of justification remains helpful in a context of constant self-justification. Some critical remarks are made from a Reformed perspective.
Highlights
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This article is a reworked version of a paper delivered at a symposium on the life and work of Rudolf Bultmann who was born on the 20th August 1884
Dit was daarom vanselfsprekend dat Martin Luther en Philipp Melanchthon reeds vroeg in die Reformatoriese stryd hieroor sou skryf
Summary
Affiliation: 1Reformed Theological College, Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, South Africa. Die volgende vraag wat Bultmann ([1948] [1952] 1968b:155) beantwoord, is of die geloof as oorgawe aan die genade van God in Christus ook tegelyk gehoorsaamheid kan wees. Geloof is nie ’n algemene Godsvertroue nie, maar die radikale oorgawe aan God se wil, wat ek nie ken voordat dit geskied nie – soos Luther na aanleiding van Romeine 8:26 gesê het: ‘Semper ita fit, ut opus nostrum intelligamus, antequam fiat, Dei autem opus non intelligimus, donec factum fuerit.’. Geloof is juis daarin egte daad, dat dit daarop bedag is, om nie sigself [as doenende mens] te verdank nie, maar die genade wat hom toebedeel word [aan te neem]. Vryheid gebore uit die genade van God is nie ’n afgehandelde toestand nie, maar is ’n geskenk wat weer en weer gegryp moet word. Hierdie beslissing sal egter aan my geskenk word – ek moet dit net aanvaar ([1948] [1952] 1968b:161)
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