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Word and Faith in the Formation of Christian Existence: a Study in Gerhard Ebeling's Rejection of the Joint Declaration Scott A

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Marquette University e-Publications@Marquette Dissertations (2009 -) Dissertations, Theses, and Professional Projects Word and Faith in the Formation of Christian Existence: A Study in Gerhard Ebeling's Rejection of the Joint Declaration Scott A. Celsor Marquette University Recommended Citation Celsor, Scott A., "Word and Faith in the Formation of Christian Existence: A Study in Gerhard Ebeling's Rejection of the Joint Declaration" (2010). Dissertations (2009 -). Paper 41. http://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations_mu/41 WORD AND FAITH IN THE FORMATION OF CHRISTIAN EXISTENCE: A STUDY IN GERHARD EBELING’S REJECTION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION by Scott A. Celsor, B.B.A, B.A., M.A. A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School, Marquette University, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Milwaukee, Wisconsin May 2010 ABSTRACT WORD AND FAITH IN THE FORMATION OF CHRISTIAN EXISTENCE: A STUDY IN GERHARD EBELING’S REJECTION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION Scott A. Celsor, B.B.A, B.A., M.A. Marquette University, 2010 In 1998, the theologian Gerhard Ebeling helped to initiate a rancorous, public debate among theologians in Germany over whether the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification presents “a consensus in the basic truths of the doctrine of justification” by co- editing the famous letter of protest. Why would he want to do this? The fact that some argue he held a distinguished position in ecumenical circles during the 1950s and 1960s makes this question somewhat intriguing. Moreover, how will this opposition impact the continuation of ecumenical discussions between Lutherans and Catholics? Through a comparison of the Joint Declaration and the letter of protest with an examination of texts relating Ebeling’s hermeneutical anthropology, which highlights how the word of God creates faith in the listener, and makes one to exist in the presence of God (i.e., the word-event), along with his understanding of the purpose of ecumenism and the church, this study argues that Ebeling refused to support the Joint Declaration for two reasons. First, the Joint Declaration allows for an understanding of justification that requires human cooperation in justification, which creates a very different picture of Christian reality in comparison to that of Ebeling, for whom one is justified purely through the action of God’s word, without a human contribution, which creates faith in the believer and changes the way that one exists. Second, the Joint Declaration’s presentation of the doctrine of justification does not produce an agreement upon the nature and function of the church, which demonstrates not only that there is no consensus on the doctrine of justification, but also that there are fundamental differences over the function of the church in the Christian life, which justifies schism. Finally, by comparing Ebeling’s hermeneutical anthropology with the continuing objections of his students and colleagues (Drs. Mark Menacher, Gerhard Forde, and Eberhard Jüngel), this study concludes, somewhat paradoxically, that while Ebeling’s hermeneutical anthropology itself could serve as a source for deepening the consensus reached in the Joint Declaration, it may well also be the source of objections to the continuing discussions between Lutheran and Catholics for years to come. i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Scott A. Celsor, B.B.A, B.A., M.A. I want to thank my wife, Donna, and my two children, Victoria and Catherine, for being especially patient and supportive during this process. I also want to thank Dr. Robert Jamison for kindly offering his time in reviewing and, in a few rare cases, preparing the German translations of Ebeling found in this study. Finally, I also want to thank my director, Dr. Ralph Del Colle, for guiding me through this process. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ......................................................................................................... i 1.0 THE ADOPTION AND RECEPTION PROCESS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION ON THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION ......................................1 1.1 Who is Gerhard Ebeling? ...................................................................................6 1.11 Biographical Overview of Gerhard Ebeling ......................................... 6 1.12 An Overview of Ebeling’s Theology .................................................. 10 1.13 Ebeling’s Ecumenical Theology ......................................................... 16 1.2 Statement of the Problem and Thesis...............................................................18 1.3 Status of the Question ......................................................................................22 1.4 Method of this Dissertation ..............................................................................28 2.0 ECUMENISM, CHURCH, AND DOCTRINE: THE BROADER CONTEXT OF EBELING’S HERMENEUTICAL THEOLOGY .............................30 2.1 The Task of Ecumenism, According to the “Foreword” in Ebeling’s The Word of God and Tradition ......................................................32 2.2 The Church and its Functions, According to Ebeling’s Dogmatik des christlichen Glaubens ................................................................................34 2.21 Ebeling’s Understanding of the Nature and Foundation of the Church ........................................................................................... 35 2.22 Ebeling’s Understanding of the Life and Function of the Church ................................................................................................. 37 2.23 The Basis for the Unity of the Church, according to Ebeling ............. 41 2.3 Proclamation as Interpretation, According to Ebeling’s The Problem of Historicity in the Church and its Proclamation ............................47 2.4 The Church and the Role of Doctrine, According to W ord of God and Tradition and Word and Faith ..................................................................53 2.41 The Word of God and Church Doctrine, According to “Word of God and Church Doctrine” in Word of God and Tradition , pp. 160-180. ...................................................................... 53 2.42 The Relationship between the Church and Church Doctrine, According to “The Significance of Doctrinal Differences for the Division of the Church,” in Word and Faith ; pp. 162-190. .............................................................................................. 58 2.5 Ecumenism, Church Doctrine, and Hermeneutics: A Summary .....................62 3.0 THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION, ACCORDING TO GERHARD EBELING: A STUDY IN THE HERMENEUTICAL ANTHROPOLOGY OF MARTIN LUTHER ...............................................................................................68 3.1 Ebeling’s Rejection of Scholastic Theology and Anthropology ......................78 3.11 Luther’s Identification of Nature and Sin, as Found in Ebeling’s Lutherstudien II.3, ch. 51, “Die Grunddifferenz zur Scholastik (Th. 31)” ...................................................................... 78 3.111 Luther’s Rejection of the Scholastic Categories of Nature and Grace, and Their Replacement with Law and Gospel .............................................................................. 78 3.112 The Effects of Sin upon Human Language ............................. 82 3.12 Luther’s Dispute with Scholasticism over the Doctrine of Original Sin, as Found in Ebeling’s Lutherstudien II.3, ch. 46, “Die menschliche Natur nach dem Fall (Th. 26)” ........................ 84 3.13. Summary ............................................................................................. 87 3.2 Ebeling’s Hermeneutical, Anthropological Method, According to Lutherstudien ...................................................................................................88 3.21 Luther’s Hermeneutical Turn and the Corresponding Problem of the Natural, as Found in Ebeling’s Lutherstudien I , “Die Rolle der Hermeneutik in Luthers Theologie,” and “Das Problem des Natürlichen bei Luther” .............. 88 3.22 The Ascendancy of Person and Word over Nature and Work, According to Ebeling’s “Luthers Wirklichkeitsverständnis” ................................................................... 94 3.23 The Relationship of Christology and Anthropology, as Found in Ebeling’s Lutherstudien II.3, chapter 41, “Das Verhältnis von Christologie und Anthropologie” ............................. 102 3.24 Summary of Luther’s Anthropology, According to Gerhard Ebeling .............................................................................................. 106 3.3 Ebeling’s Understanding of the Doctrine of Justification, According to his Lutherstudien ......................................................................109 3.31 The Relationship of Justification and Anthropology, According to Ebeling’s Lutherstudien , II.3, chapter 55, “Rechtfertigungslehre und Anthropologie,” and chapter 56.2, “Der homo iustificandus nach den vier causae” ...................... 109 3.32 The Relationship of Divine Faith and Human Action, According to Ebeling’s Lutherstudien , II.3, chapter 62, “Cooperatores Dei” ........................................................................... 120 3.33 Summary of Luther’s Understanding of the Relationship Between Anthropology and Justification, According to Gerhard Ebeling ................................................................................ 124 4.0 THE HERMENEUTICAL JUSTIFICATION FOR GERHARD EBELING’S REJECTION
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