6 - Pannenberg, Moltmann, and the Book of Revelation

Summary

Introduction

In 1972 an influential book by Klaus Koch, the German Old Testament scholar, appeared in English as The Rediscovery of Apocalyptic. Koch charted the way in which theologians from different disciplines – both biblical studies and systematics – had begun to rediscover apocalyptic texts as a resource for contemporary theological reflection. He paid particular attention to two German systematicians, Wolfhart Pannenberg and Jürgen Moltmann, both of whom had worked extensively on the relationship between theology and history, using apocalyptic texts as exegetical support. The work of Pannenberg and Moltmann has often been characterized as a reaction against a dehistoricizing tendency evident in the dialectical theology of a previous generation of theologians, represented most clearly by Rudolf Bultmann. In fact, the original German title of Koch's book, Ratlos vor der Apokalyptik (which may be loosely translated as ‘At a Loss over Apocalyptic’), indicates something of the awkwardness and embarrassment apocalyptic had caused this earlier generation. In the face of the Bultmannian stress on the overwhelming importance of the present moment, and its dismissal of historical fact as a basis for faith, both Pannenberg and Moltmann have reaffirmed the centrality of history in theological understanding, and have used interpretations of apocalyptic in so doing.

Although the work of Pannenberg and Moltmann has important common features (for example, their interest in apocalyptic, their reaction against dialectical theology, and the strong orientation of their theology to the future), there are also important differences of emphasis.