By Schubert Ogden
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Thus, for example, in explaining why his two ways of defining theology \-\- as translation of the New Testament proclamation and as explication of Christian existence \-\- finally amount to the same thing, he can say: "\[S\]ince theology speaks (not of existentiality, but) of existence as a historical existence that is qualified by a certain historical fact, it also speaks of the scripture that is this fact precisely as a historical fact qualifying existence" (_Theologische Enzyklopädie_: 169 f.). This identification of the historical fact qualifying the human existence of which theology speaks as "scripture" has parallels in other statements in which Bultmann similarly represents either "scripture," or "the New Testament," or "the apostolic preaching" as though it were the primal authorizing source, rather than simply the sole primary authority (or simply an authority) for Christian existence. So, for instance, he says, "Christian faith is the answer to the word of God proclaimed by the Christian church because it hears this word spoken in the New Testament" ("Protestant Theology and Atheism": 334). Or, again, "\[F\]aith is the answer to the proclaimed word of God's grace which has its origin and legitimation in the New Testament" (_New Testament and Mythology_: 114). Or, yet again, "The word of God is God's word . . . as one and the same word that began with the apostolic preaching and is fixed in scripture and that continues to be borne by human beings in the proclamation, the word of Christ whose content of ideas can also be formulated in general statements" (121). |
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