Numéro thématique
- - Faire de la théologie aujourd’hui. Liminaire
- NOCQUET Dany - De quelques dépassements de l’inimitié dans l’Ancien Testament : Israël a aimé ses ennemis
- NICOLET Valérie - Rencontrer l’autre. La position des Galates dans les discussions avec Paul
- ROHMER Céline - Une théologie de la beauté : variations autour de Paul sur la gratuité
- ANTIER Guilhen - Figures du démoniaque. En lisant Kierkegaard, Freud et Matthieu
- COCHAND Nicolas - Confesser sa foi à l’occasion d’un baptême : la théologie pratique comme travail critique sur les croyances
- SINGER Christophe - La théologie chrétienne : grammaire subversive au service d’une cité provisoire
Of some excesses of enmity in the Old Testament: Israel loved its enemies
This article, about the relationships between Israel and the surrounding peoples during the 1st millennium BC, shows how some texts of the Old Testament develop a positive attitude to Israel’s neighbors, highlighting its gratitude to these nations. So, in the history of the Old Testament, the image of Israel is gradually changing from a specificity of separation to a singularity of integration and gratefulness toward others. Israel expresses its love and debt to the different groups who have assisted in its history: Philistines, Arameans, among others.
Meeting others. The position of the Galatians in the discussions with Paul
This article discusses a few elements of the epistle to the Galatians and keeps two things in mind in its interpretation: the fact that Paul presents himself as apostle to the nations, and the position of the Galatians inside the Roman empire. It also includes an analysis of the relationships between Jews and non-Jews in Antiquity in order to better understand why the Galatians’ position, severely criticized by Paul, could actually make sense in the context of these communities.
A theology of beauty: variations around Paul on gratuitousness
In order to reflect on the meaning of the practice of theology today, the author proposes to observe three sets of echoes between Pauline epistles and the Gospel according to Matthew (Gal 4:15-20 // Mt 5:13-16; Rom 7:15-21 // Mt 12:32b-37; Gal 6:7-10 // Mt 7:15-21). The hypothesis defended in this contribution is that the author Matthew bears the traces of a Pauline understanding of the implementation of transcendence in the reality of human existence which passes by a capacity of wonder through beauty. Paul and Matthew in his wake both reflect on God’s active presence through the lexical network of beauty that they take care to distinguish from good. By taking this path to say God, they act as true poets opening the way to a singular way of practising theology.
Figures of the demonic. Reading Kierkegaard, Freud, and Matthew
This article discusses the category of the demonic through a tour in the work of Kierkegaard, then more briefly in that of Freud and in Matthew 8:28-34. In Kierkegaard, the demoniac appears as a subjective position of refusal to become subject in a will to totalize oneself against the possibility of God. In Freud, it is linked to the tragic figure of repetition and destiny expressed by the notion of death drive, and becomes a name for the unconscious as such. In Matthew, the demonic questions theology about its relationship to truth and knowledge when it forgets that its object is in fact a subject.
Confessing one’s faith on the occasion of a baptism: practical theology as critical work on beliefs
The author presents an approach in practical theology. Starting from the observation of a practice, the confession of faith made during an adult baptism, he situates it in its liturgical context by giving a historical perspective to the texts that regulate its current practice in the French Reformed tradition. He then looks at the process leading to the public act, in critical dialogue with two approaches to the psychology of belief, one social, the other cognitive. He considers that, contrary to what these approaches seem to indicate, to say one is a believer today implies a critical work of the person on his or her own beliefs. He concludes by indicating avenues of research to pursue the approach.
Christian theology: a subversive grammar serving a temporary city
If theological work aims at giving language to the event of faith, then theology can be defined with Luther as the “grammar of the word God”. This article explores what this definition implies regarding the possibility of a theology based on experience and Scripture, avoiding the risk of a confessionalism that is hermetic to all dialogue, and thus at the service of a human existence traversed by hope for the Kingdom.