Die Verkörperung der Theologie

By Benedikt Gilich

Book Description

In "Die Verkörperung der Theologie," Benedikt Gilich explores how theological thinking fundamentally operates through metaphorical language, revealing profound connections between human embodiment and our understanding of the divine. This scholarly work demonstrates that theology shares with other disciplines the necessity of metaphorical expression, yet maintains its unique character through the transparent acknowledgment of these linguistic patterns when speaking about God.

Gilich examines how theology can genuinely benefit from interdisciplinary metaphor research, engaging with prominent philosophical and cognitive scientific theories. He critically analyzes the epistemological foundations underlying the metaphor concepts of influential thinkers including Ricoeur, Derrida, Lakoff, and Johnson, revealing the complex assumptions that shape these approaches.

The heart of this work emerges through an innovative dialogue between Lakoff and Johnson's Embodied Realism and Karl Rahner's theo-anthropological framework. Through this synthesis, Gilich develops a theological methodology that can authentically understand and practice itself as metaphorology. This approach recognizes how our bodily existence shapes our capacity to comprehend and articulate religious truth.

For readers interested in the intersection of cognitive science, philosophy, and religious thought, this book offers a rigorous exploration of how human corporeality influences theological reflection. Gilich presents a framework for understanding religious language that honors both scholarly precision and the embodied nature of human spiritual experience.