Tradition and its use': the ethics of theological retrieval
This article argues for the importance of attending to the subjective dynamics involved in retrieval of past theological traditions for contemporary purposes. Building on a close analysis of Martin Luther's distinction between the substance' of a thing and its use', the article make...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Cambridge Univ. Press
[2018]
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| In: |
Scottish journal of theology
Year: 2018, Volume: 71, Issue: 3, Pages: 308-323 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Luther, Martin 1483-1546
/ Substance
/ Usage
/ Christian ethics
/ Justification
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| IxTheo Classification: | KAG Church history 1500-1648; Reformation; humanism; Renaissance KDD Protestant Church NBM Doctrine of Justification NCA Ethics |
| Further subjects: | B
Martin Luther
B substance distinction / use B affective economies B theological retrieval |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Verlag) Volltext (doi) |
| Summary: | This article argues for the importance of attending to the subjective dynamics involved in retrieval of past theological traditions for contemporary purposes. Building on a close analysis of Martin Luther's distinction between the substance' of a thing and its use', the article makes a theological case for the importance of attending not just to what we retrieve from tradition, but also to how and why we retrieve it. Analysis of Luther's distinction suggests (1) that the meaning of theological claims remains unexpectedly fluid until such claims have been located within the ethical drama of use', and (2) that one of the best ways to get theological traction on the dynamics of use' is to attend to the affective economies in which theological reasoning is always located. It concludes by drawing attention to specific areas in contemporary ethics where new light can be shed through attention to the dynamics of use'. |
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| ISSN: | 1475-3065 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Scottish journal of theology
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1017/S0036930618000340 |