»Jesus, der Christus« – von der Lehrformel zur Leerformel

In his recent book »Jesus von Nazareth zwischen Judentum und Christentum« (2020) Christian Danz gives a full account of his so-called »hermeneutics of difference« as an approach in the theology of religions that is allegedly more pluralism-friendly than the different versions of exclusivism, inclusivism and pluralism. Although this claim is illustrated primarily by the example of Christian-Jewish relations, its implications are of a general nature. This paper analyses the hermeneutical foundations of Danz' position as a form of theological antirealism that understands theological statements not as referring to any external realities but takes them exclusively as expressions of the Christian faith. As such they do not, according to Danz, entail any assessment of other religions at all. The paper criticises Danz' position as untenable because of its inner contradictions, as incompatible with the factual truth claims inevitably implied by the Christian faith and as possibly a version of covert atheism. Danz' critique of religious pluralism as monistic, implausible, irreconcilable with the religions' self-understanding and ruinous to Christology is rejected, while pluralism is defended as a far more robust, rewarding – and in a sense more traditional – approach to other religions than Danz' hermeneutics of difference.

CHRISTIAN DANZ, Jesus von Nazareth zwischen Judentum und Christentum. Eine christologische und religionstheologische Skizze. Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen 2020, IX + 289 S.