Eccentric existence? Engaging David H. Kelsey's theological anthropology as a basis for ecological theology

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The earth and her ecology is in crisis, which impacts upon both human andnonhuman communities. Not only due to the blame for ecological destruction that isattributed to humanity (and specifically also to the Christian religion), but also because ofthe destruction of species, environments and the natural habitat of living beings theologyis asked of to step into its public and prophetic role in order to address the challenges inwhichever way it can. David Kelsey's enormous theological anthropology, EccentricExistence (2009), probably provides opportunities for this, through its theological inquiryand (re)formulation of Christian traditions' central doctrines and faith formulations.Kelsey's main thesis is that God relates to all that is not God to create, draw intoeschatological consummation, and reconcile.God relates to create the earth and her ecology. God relates to the earth and herecology creatively ('living on borrowed breath') which entails that God relates 'to theearth and her ecology through the medium of address. The ultimate context of the earthand her ecology is therefore that of being directly and indirectly addressed by the triuneGod, through which it responds to its being called into being. The call that Kelseydescribes, and therefore God's creation of the earth and her ecology, is public andcommunal, involving both the radical freedom of otherness and the intimate nearness ofsameness. God relates to bless the earth and her ecology creatively in God's life-givingaddress, by enabling it to be alive and to bring forth life. The earth and her ecology, asparticular instances or forms of life, is dynamic, persistent and frail. Creaturely realityinvolves being and having living bodies, through being created as dying life. The earthand her ecology not only lives, but is enabled to flourish, on borrowed breath. In thisway, the earth and her ecology exists eccentrically, finding its reality and worth and beingand value outside of itself, in God's relating to bless it creatively.God relates to draw the earth and her ecology into eschatological consummation.God relates by drawing the earth and her ecology into eschatological consummation('living on borrowed time') which stipulates that God relates 'between the earth and herecology through the medium of promise. The ultimate context of the earth and herecology is therefore that of being drawn into God's own triune life and being called to participate in the glory of God. The earth and her ecology is defined by the absolutepromise of eschatological blessing and the implicit promise of transformation in thepresent and in the future, which is God's reaching out to all that is not God (alsodescribed as the missio Dei). The earth and her ecology, as particular instances or formsof life, stands under both God's election (or 'yes') and God's judgment (or 'no'). Theearth and her ecology not only lives, but is enabled to flourish, on borrowed time. In thisway, the earth and her ecology exists eccentrically, finding its reality and worth and beingand value outside of itself, in God's relating to bless it eschatologically.God reconciles the earth and her ecology to Godself. God relates by reconcilingthe earth and her ecology through their multiple estrangements ('living by another'sdeath') and entails that God relates 'amongst the earth and her ecology through themedium of exchange. The ultimate context of the earth and her ecology is therefore thatof being reconciled to God through its multiple estrangements and being drawn into thedivine life of God Godself. Incarnation and what Kelsey calls 'exchange' – Godincarnated in Jesus exchanging Godself with the earth and her ecology amidst processesof violence and destruction to transform their living death into true life – defines the earthand her ecology in this mode of relating. The earth and her ecology is reconciled withherself and with living beings and all of life through their reconciliation by and in God.God's reconciliation is liberation and transformation of the earth and her ecology withinparticular times and places, within its particular contexts. The life of the earth and herecology is therefore no longer tied to the fulfillment of certain functions or duties (oreven vocations) that it may be subjected to or expected of, but lies solely in the worth andvalue that it finds in living and existing by the life and death of another, of God incarnate,of Jesus the Son. The earth and her ecology not only lives, but is enabled to flourish, byanother's death. In this way, the earth and her ecology exists eccentrically, finding itsreality and worth and being and value outside of itself, in God's relating to reconcile itthrough its multiple estrangements.God stands in relationship to the earth and her ecology in three ways that sustainsand blesses it to flourish as mysterious living being that reflects the glory of the triuneGod. The appropriate response to this, respectively, is eccentric faith, eccentric hope and eccentric love. The earth and her ecology, like all living beings and all of life, existseccentrically, through God that relates to it.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University