2024-08-01 15:02:28
Salzburg University Week honors Hans-Joachim Horn as “a promoter of rational speech about God”.
What is the point of theology? The German theologian and philosopher Hans-Joachim Horn found a succinct answer to this: Practical theology means “representing reason over faith and faith over reason.” Thomas Schmidt from Frankfurt expressed this in his speech of praise. With this, and his refutation of the Enlightenment equation of reason and progress, religion and regression, Hans-Joachim Horn turned his institute at the University of Cologne into “a breeding ground for first-rate young scientists,” Thomas Schmidt said. Martin Durenberger, President of Salzburg University Week, emphasized at the ceremony in the Great Hall: Hans-Joachim Horn challenged and inspired contemporary theological thought with his life’s work.
As the jury recognized on Wednesday evening, he was recognized as an “advocate of God’s rational speech”: winner of the Salzburg University Week Award, which has been awarded for 18 years. This year, the Benedictine monastery of Fort St. George in Tyrol donated 5,000 euros. Hans-Joachim Höhn continues the series of previous winners such as Karl Lehmann, Aleida and Jan Assmann , Karl-Josef Kuschel, Klaus Mertes, David Steindl-Rast and Susanne Heine Heine).
His hobbies clearly influenced his thinking: the marathon runner was “fast and persistent” in his arguments, reported the admirer Thomas Schmidt. Furthermore, in conversations with him, “a good sense of humor was always noticed”, as well as rhetorical flourish, excellent conceptual clarity and curiosity about contemporary cultural phenomena; he positively reviewed the TV series “Dallas” ” at the beginning, and pointed out that “new myths originate from old stories.” “Dallas” deals with themes of betrayal, deceit and jealousy between siblings, as told in “Genesis” for America’s Millionaires.
Hans-Joachim Horn recognized the characteristics of today’s times: “In principle they can do without God,” explains Thomas Schmidt. “God has become dispensable.” Theology is therefore forced to “think God alongside a world that must think without God.”
In his acceptance speech, Hans-Joachim Höhn, after numerous publications including 20 monographs, addressed the issues that currently trouble him. “How should we talk about God so that our voices are heard today?” He advocated “aphoristic theology,” that is, “brevity” and sharp witticisms. This “language-sensitive theology” must not “explain harmless stories of faith” but must oppose appeasement, object “when faith lapses into dogmatic slumber” and “pop the bubble of religious speech”.
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