The God of the Philosophers and the God of Faith according to Joseph Ratzinger: Analysis in the Context of the Ambiguity of the Concept of God in the History of Ancient and Modern Philosophy

Tomasz Stępień

doi:10.21697/ct.2023.93.4.04

Published: 2023-11-15

Vol. 93 No. 4 (2023)

The God of the Philosophers and the God of Faith according to Joseph Ratzinger

Analysis in the Context of the Ambiguity of the Concept of God in the History of Ancient and Modern Philosophy

Tomasz Stępień

Collectanea Theologica

Section: Articles

https://doi.org/10.21697/ct.2023.93.4.04

Abstract

The article suggests a revision of the concept proposed by Joseph Ratzinger, which he first formulated in a lecture given in 1959. In it, the theologian from Regensburg defended the notion of natural theology against its radical rejection made in the circle of dialectical theologians, especially by Emil Brunner. While the rejection of the theses of these theologians is entirely correct, the treatment of the God of the philosophers as pure thought (reines Denken) remains problematic. The article demonstrates that the God of the ancient philosophers cannot be seen in this way, because such a vision is based on the categories of modern and contemporary philosophy. The proposed account of the God of the philosophers allows the theses of the Protestant theologians to be rejected in a new way, while admitting that they are right about the idea of God in modern and contemporary philosophy as an anthropomorphic idol.

Keywords:

Benedict XVI, Joseph Ratzinger, Emil Brunner, God of philosophers, God of faith

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Stępień, T. (2023). The God of the Philosophers and the God of Faith according to Joseph Ratzinger: Analysis in the Context of the Ambiguity of the Concept of God in the History of Ancient and Modern Philosophy. Collectanea Theologica, 93(4), 19–35. https://doi.org/10.21697/ct.2023.93.4.04

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