Abstract / DOI
Dreadful Anticipation: The Fear of the Last Things. This essay addresses the question of how, in the face of gloomy prognoses for the future, something can be said about the Last Things from a Christian perspective. To remain silent on the topics of «Last Judgement», «Heaven», «Hell» or «Purgatory» on the part of the church is not a solution; after all, these topics are constantly played with in pop culture. The solutions suggested in cinema, internet and television are, of course, highly questionable. From a theological point of view, the following question is at stake: What does it mean when the individual becomes aware of himself in the face of God in such a way that he can see himself as the person he was and is - and, in contrast, could also be (have been)? Attempts of this kind certainly lead theological speaking into a kind of explosive metaphor, because since everything is connected with everything, the redemption of the individual requires the redemption of all and of all creation. This is where the intentional speaking of God gets into aporia. But only the aporetic situation allows us to understand what hope is (from a Christian point of view).