Hearing the kerygma : Martin Heidegger and the New Hermeneutics : two preliminary findings

Online First 2021-12-29

This paper aims to set a foreground that will further reveal the theological and hermeneutical standpoint of Ernst Fuchs and Gerhard Ebeling. The author discusses and argues that some of their basic problems and concepts, such as a human being (Dasein), questionableness (Fraglichkeit), thrownness (Geworfenheit) or language-event (Sprachereignis), owed its origin to Martin Heidegger, but none of them could be considered a faded copy of its Heideggerian counterpart. New Hermeneutics carried out a theological verification and transposition (rather than accommodation) of Heidegger pursuing his aim of overcoming of metaphysics. As a theory of language of faith and verified fundamental ontology, Lutheran hermeneutics deliberately avoided the question "what does the biblical text actually mean?" or even "what does the text mean to me?" Instead, it took great pains to persist in asking "why should the biblical text mean anything?" To grasp the supreme importance of this question, the author makes two preliminary observations: on the boredom with language and radical questionableness or passivity of Dasein. Discussing the boredom with language, the author discusses the reasons that prevent a man from encountering the Word of God which does not stand for something and thus transcends itself, but rather exercises its questioning and transformative power. For it is the Word of God which reveals itself as a biblical skandalon or the obstacle and threshold for Dasein. Instead of confirming man in his self-understanding, such Word constantly calls human independence and agency into question. For that reason replacing one language with another was no longer the major challenge. Instead, it was a kerygmatic interpretation of language aimed at restoring man’s intimacy with language as his genuine place of being. It’s only a short step from here to disclosing the radical questionableness, that is a state of man becoming a question to himself. As an experience that calls the autonomy of human self into question, radical questionableness involves a divine question to which manmade reality never provides an answer that could be considered definitive, although all these answers remain binding. Consequently, such experience reveals historical and passive way of human being before the divine Word, the way which violates metaphysical constitution of subjectivity and therefore transforms the purpose of proclamation and the meaning of kerygma. As a call and challenge to man, or an answer given by the wholly other God to the question concerning a man, kerygma makes Dasein finally capable of entering a relationship with the Word which does not violate the divine sovereignty. For it is kerygma that brings the ecstatic nature of man to the fore. Kerygma establishes a speaking-hearing interplay of God and man, and makes hearing a basic form of man’s being before God. Such relationship consists therefore in nothing but the responsible acceptance of a gift, that is hearing the divine Word.