Wolfhart Pannenberg

Chapter 3 continues a discussion by Pannenberg of his philosophy of religion by specifically considering the reality of the divine (God and the Gods) in the experience of the religions. He is still not ready to discuss Christian teaching. He is still preparing the ground, so to speak. He continues to offer his apologetic in convincing the reader that discussion of Christian teaching remains a credible endeavor. He will now wrestle with the challenge presented by the plurality of the religions in light of the quest for truth. He will present criteria for how one could make a reasonable judgment regarding the truth or falsity of a particular religion. Section 1 deals with the concept of religion and the role it has in theological reflection. The breakdown of the inspiration and authority of the Bible in the 16-1700s led to increased focus upon the nature of religion. The work of W. C. Smith, The Meaning and End of Religion (1964) is helpful to Pannenberg at this point. Pannenberg w...

In Chapter 2, Pannenberg will explore the concept of God and the question of its truth. The chapter is actually an exploration into the philosophy of religion. To offer yet another contrast with Karl Barth, here is a chapter that Barth would say no theologian should write. Barth begins quickly in his prolegomena to proclaim the Word of God and revelation. In contrast, Pannenberg thinks that to gain a hearing for the Christian message, one needs persuade others that the discussion of God is still credible, valuable and meaningful. I will divide this chapter into two considerations, one being whether the word “God” is still meaningful in a secular culture, and the other is the yes Pannenberg gives to the notion of a natural knowledge of God and the no he gives to natural theology.            The challenge of secularity is always before him. In this case, he thinks that the mention of God or the divine sounds like a holdover from a childish and superstiti...