Frias Lunch Lecture

 
“No one has ever seen God…” (1 John 4:12a). The short biblical phrase marks the core element of ignorance in theology: God him-/herself. This hermeneutical prerequisite does not mean the end for scientific theology – it is its starting point. Practical theology for example is interested in the different conceptions of God people have today, in the evolution of these conceptions and in their consequences for religious communication.  The model of “God 9.0” (Küstenmacher/Haberer) offers a systematic perspective on the plurality of historical and contemporary notions of God.  And it shows the challenges they entail for religious communities.