Metz 'Legacy: Missing the contestable voice of theology today!

Metz 'Legacy: Missing the contestable voice of theology today!

Münster, Deutschland - On December 2, 2019, the renowned theologian Johann Baptist Metz died in Münster at the age of 91. Metz is one of the most influential voices of the German -language theology of the 20th century and is considered the founder of the new political theology. This theology goes back to its intensive clashes with questions of suffering and justice, characterized by its own experiences in the Second World War. As kathpress , his terms such as "crisis of God", "autonomy of the suffering" and "option for the poor" were decisive for the theological Discourses of his time and show his deep connection with the social needs of mankind.

Metz, born on August 5, 1928 in the Upper Palatinate, was a student of the important theologian Karl Rahner and, after his ordination in 1954, devoted himself to the academic teaching in Münster. Until his retirement in 1993, he significantly shaped theology. He came to view internationally, especially through his work "Theology to Auschwitz". His approaches not only influenced the clerics, but also the critical discussion in academic space on the role of religion in modern society. So Metz fochures that a "theology with attitude" is challenged in times of the residual life of anti -Semitism, as also cited by wikipedia . His beliefs also flowed into the synoding advice of the German dioceses in the 1970s, the document of which "our hope" bears his handwriting.

a legacy of hope

Metz ’Theology left a profound heir. His exercises in "Compassion" and the importance of memory of the suffering of the oppressed are to be understood as the cornerstone of his work. In his last phase of life, he continued to be involved in discussions about the role of the church in the context of the present, and his teachings remain relevant in the discussion about social justice and interreligious dialogue. The commemorative symposium, which will take place in Münster on his day of death in December 2024, should honor his important contributions to theology and make his influence on future generations of thinkers and theologians visible.