Walter Kasper and the second Schelling
The interest of the young Kasper, who took as his basis of reference and discussion the philosophy of the second Schelling, follows by and large the path that was opened up by Drey. The latter had drawn the lines of a theology conceived as a positive science by adapting in an original manner a number of Schelling’s ideas on the methodological and encyclopaedic plane.
It was ‘a topic tied to Tübingen’ where Kasper had learned ‘to reflect more deeply on Schelling’s thought’. As he himself writes in the Preface to his The Absolute in History, ‘the impulse to theological research on German idealism occurred to me on the basis of my familiarity with the rich theological world of the Tübingen School of the nineteenth century, into which I was introduced in my studies by my esteemed teachers, Prof. Dr. J. R. Geiselmann and Prof. Dr. F. X. Arnold.’
The commitment and the goal that Kasper set for himself were exceptional, since the literature on Schelling’s Philosophy of Revelation and on his system of positive philosophy in general were, and are still, ‘the object of contradictory judgments, mostly unfavourable’. Schelling himself, after all, in his lectures on the philosophy of revelation (Berlin 1841/42) quickly disappointed the expectations and hopes of those, above all theologians, who expected in his programme a synthesis of philosophy and religion. ‘The success of curiosity continued for some time. But the malicious campaigns of his opponents, […] the growing exhaustion among the students, the anachronism of a philosophy that went against the currents of the time […] put an end to this late glory.
For all this difficulty, the young Kasper took the task seriously and dedicated to the philosophy of the second Schelling ‘a well-researched work leading to the recognition not only of his theological value but also of his contemporary perspective.’
Theology starts with divine revelation as the source of knowledge while philosophy begins with human reason. Philosophy is more like a tool of questioning, rational analyses, and clarification of terms in order to enhance understanding of ultimate issues. Since theology deals with ultimate issues and topics common with philosophy like the nature of reality, the source and extent of knowledge, and values, they are bound to interact especially whenever rationality gets addressed. All major religions have philosophical aspects as well. Classic Western Christian theology developed through much interaction with Greek philosophy. In modern times, existentialism and postmodernism have also influenced much theologizing. In Asia, Christian theologians approached Christian revelation through the lenses of local religious and secular philosophies, as in Indian Christian theologies, Asian contextual theologies, etc.
- Badges
- Science method
- Similar topics
- Philosophy