On Being a Christian

724 Pages·1984·9.54 MB·English

by  Hans Küng

Thosfeo wrh omt hibso oiks w ritten
Thibso oiks w rittfeonar l tlh osweh of, or arneya saotna lhlo,n estly
ands incerwealnytt ok noww hatC hristi,aw nhiattby einagC hristian,
realmleya ns.
Iti sw rittaelnsf oo trh ose
whod on otb eliebvuetn, e verthesleersiso uisnlqyu ire;
whod idb eliebvueta, r en ots atiswfiietdth h euinrb elief;
whod ob eliebvuetf, e eiln seciunrt eh efiari th;
whoa rea ta l osbse,t weebne liaenfdu nbelief;
whoa rsek eptibcoatlah,b out tchoenivri ctainodan bso utth edioru bts.
Iti sw ritttehne fno Crh ristainadna st heiGsntoss,t iacnsda gnostics,
pietiasntdps o sitivliusktesw,a arnmd z ealoCuast holPircost,e stants
andO rthodox.
Iti sa na ttemipntt ,h em idsotfa ne poch-makuipnhge avoaftl h eC hurch's
doctrimnoer,a liatnydd iscipltoid nies,c owvhearti s permanwehnatt:
isd ifferefnrto omt hewro rlrde ligiaonndms o derhnu manismasn;da tt he
samet imweh ati sc ommont ot he sepCahrraties tian ChTuhrerc ehaedse.r
wilrli ghtelxyp eucstt ow orko utf ohri mi nh ipsr actoifcC eh ristianity,
ina w ayt haitsb othhi storiecxaalcaltny d y etup t od atei,nt hel ight
oft hem osrte cesncth olarasnhdyi epit n telliwghiabtil sdy e,c isainvde
distincatbiovuteth eC hristpiraong ram:
whatt hipsr ograomr iginmaelalnytb ,e foirtwe a sc overed twhiedt uhs t
andd ebroifst wot housand ayneda rs,
whatt hipsr ogram, brtoolu igghahtgt a icna,no ffetro dabyy w ayo fa
meaningffuull,fi lllieftdeo e acahn de veroyn e.
Thiissn ota nother gospel,
butt hes amea nciegnots pel
rediscovfeortreo dd ay!
from
TRANSLABTYEE DD WARQDU INN
CanC h1'isftaiiatcnho ntintuome eet
thec hallenogfte osd ayw'osr ldI?st he
Christmieasns aagnea dequaotneef or
twenticeetnht umreyn a ndw omen?
Int hibsr illsitaundtty h ec ontrover­
siaCla tholtihce ologHiaanns K iing
answewrist ha resound"iynegs A.s"­
sessitnhgei mpacotfo ther world reli­
gionhsu,m anissmc,i entceec,h nology,
andp olitirceavlo lutainodns ;i fting
througthh et heologciocnatlr oversies
withitnh eC hristcioamnm uniittys elf,
Kunga ffirmst hev italaintdyu nique­
nesosf C hristiabnyti rtayc iintg back
toi trso ots-rtehael oiftt yh eh istorical
ChrisFto.rK ung'esx haustsicvheo lar­
shipi sc ombinewdi tha passionate
beliienfJ esuCsh riasstt hec enteorf
existence.
Beyonidt hsi storaincdta hle ological
dimensiohnosw,e verO,N BEINGA
CHRISTIiAsaN thorourgeh- examina­
tioonfw hati tm eantso b ea Christian
todayt:h er oloef C hristeitahni icnsa
sociaanld p oliticcoanlt extth,er ela­
tionsbheitpw eeCnh ristiaanndJs e ws,
(c ontoinbn a!flclakep d)
(contfirnfourmeflo dan pt)
theo rganizaotfia o cno mmunitoyf
believearnsd,p ractiscuaglg estions
ford ealinwgi thp ersoncarli soefs
faith.
Writtfeonbr o tthh es cholaanrdt he
educatleadi ttyh,im so numentwalo rk
isd estinteodb ecomae landmaorfk
moderCnh risttihaonu ght.
PHOTOB YH UGO JENLE
Hans Kiiinsog n eo ft hem ostd istin­
guisheadn dh ighlrye gardtehde olo­
gianisnt hew orltdo darye,s pecntoetd
onlyb y Catholbiuctsb yt hinkeorfs
aldle nominatHieoi nssp .r eserplrtol­y
fessoofrD ogmatiacn dE cumenical
Studiaetts h eU niversoifTt iyi bingen,
GermanyH.e holdhso noradreyg rees
froms everAamle rican universities,
wasv isitpirnogf esastoU rn ioTnh eo­
logicSaelm inarayn,dh asl ecturaetd
variouunsi versiintE iuerso pAem,e r­
icaa ndA siaA.m ongh isp ublished
workasr eT:h eC hurcIhn,f alliAbnl e?
Inquiarnyd T ruthfulnTehsesF :u ture
oft heC hurch.
JACKET RBOYB ERATU LICINO
Printientd h eU .S.A.
On Beinag
Christian

HansK iing
On Beinag
Christian
Transladtb eyE dwradQ uinn
DOUBLEDACYO MAPNYI,NC ./GARDECNI TY,NE W YORK
&
Lyrfircosm m usthieca Hlai rc,o pytr© i1g9h,61 6967, 1968
byJ amReasd, Go eroRmaeg Gnalit,M c DermNoatSt,h apUinriot,e d
ArtMiusstCsio cI. n,Alc l.ri ghatdsm inibsyUt neirtAreetddi sts
MusCiocI. n,c N.e,wY orNk.,Y .
This bwoaooskr iginalliynG eprmuabnl ished
undtehrtie t lCeHR IST SEIN
(©R .P ipeCro V.e rlaMgii,n ch1e94n7) .
&
ISB0-N:35 8-2.07-152
LibroafCry o ngCraestsa ClaorNgdu mrb7e:-5 36597
Engltirsahn sCloaptyir©oi 1ng9 h7bty6D oubl&e Cdoamyp aInnyc,.
AlRli gRhetsse rved
Printientd h Uen itSetdao tfAe mse rica
Acknowlgmedents
Thibso oki se xtra-ordiinnm aarnyyr espeacntdis n m anyr espetcotois ti s
the resuolfet xtr aordinaasrsyi stIaw nocrek.e odn i ta ta ltilm esd,a ya nd
nighatn,d s evermaaln uscrvieprts ioofna s n umbeorf s ectiownesr ef ol­
lowebd y moreth an halaf dozent ypescript vDerr.sM iaorngsa.r et
Gentnewra sr esponsfiobtrlh eea rduotuass okf p repartihnemg a nuscript
forp ublicatiaonnd f orfi nalclhye ckitnhgef ootnotSehse.w asa ssisitne d
TiibingbeynR uthS igrainsdt- whenne cessarSyu-risnem ey, h omei n
SwitzerlabnyFd r,a uM arlAibse ndroth-KnDiirs.Ce hlr.i sHteam perlea d
the galplreoyo afnsd c heckseodm eo ft heb ibliograipnhfiocrmaalti on.
FraAun negrDeitn kesla wt oth e duplicatioofnc opioefst hem anuscript.
Togethweirt Dhr .M argarGeetn tnerI,h avteo t hanmko sto fa lDlr .H er­
mannH aringa ndK arl-JKoussecfh meyl ,s tudefnottr h ed octortahtees: e
two madea nu nparalleeffloreitdnr eadieancgh n ewv ersiooftn h em anu­
scripdti,s cusasnidnsg t udyiwnigt hm e thep roblewmhsi cwhe rec on­
tinuallayr isainndgh elpimneg w itcho untlessusg gestiaonndcs o rrections.
Withoutth eg enerohuesl pfulonfea slmsly assistiantn htse I nstitfuotre
EcumeniScatlu ditehseb ookw oulnde vehra veb eenc ompletfeodrt he
deadliNnoer.c anI praissueffi cienttlhyea ttentioofnF sr auC harlotte
Renemanwnh,o c onstanptrloyv idienmd y housael tlh awta sn ecessary
foro urp hysiscuarlv iavnadlf ora verpyl easant atmionsw phhiectrhoe
work.
Thea ssistoafnv caeri oucso lleaignuT eiisb ingen-wietxahgoguetr ation,
stiloln eo ft heb estth eologciecnatlei rnts h ew orld-wiamsp ortainnta n­
otherre speWcitt.h oucto nstdainstc uswsiitobhno tCha tholaincdP rotes­
tanstp eciathleioslto giapnasr,ti culianrlt yh ef reaei ro fT iibingeint,
woulsdc archealvybe e enp ossitbolp er odutchei bso oko re veann ything
likiet I.n cidentailtcl ayns, c arcbeelt ya kefno rg ranttehda at c olleague
workiinngt hefi elodf G ermalna nguaagnedl iterastuhroeu lgde th imself
involvweidt ha theologbioocka.lI am especigarlaltye tfhuelr eftoor e
Walter fJoerrn esa ditnhgr outghhe m anuscrwiipttah c riticeaylef rom
thefi rslti nteot hel asitnm, a nyi nstanecveesn setivmeesr.aT lo h imI o we
manys tyliasntdim ca teriiamlpr ovemeAn stys.s temattihce ologwihaon
enters siuncdtheo t aiinrl e gatrodt heN ewT estamepnatr ticunleaerdlsy
someonteo c hechki se xegeasnedss yntheGseersh.a rLdo hfinkm,y col-
6 Acknogwmleendts
leaginu eN ewT estameexnetg espirso,v itdheidas i da ndr eatdh ew hole
manuscrIitwp ats.t hes amwei tsho mec haptoefrS se ctiDo,wn h ere 1-a
dogmattihce ologiatno-d heaawdli tehth icqaule stioTnhse.s e were read
bym y colleaignut ehse ologicaAll feotAnhusie carsn ,dW ilhelKmo rffI.
am gratetfoau lltl h esfeoc ro rrectiaonndss uggestiIom nuss.at l stoh ank
ProfesJsuolrCi hai n(gC anbeArursat,r anloiwai ,nT okyoa)n dP rofessor
HenrDiu moul(iTno kyfoo)lr o okinthgr ougthhe secnti oont hew orldr e­
ligions.
I mayb ep ermitatlesdto o m entiowni tghr atituhdeer aen othceorl ­
leagwuheo w aso nliyn direicntvloylwi vtehdt hibso okb,u twi thouwth ose
constlaonytaa nld f rienhdellyp -whbieccha mpeu bliecvliyd eenstp ecially
whenI h adt oa nswterh ei ntervgiievweb nyJ eromHea merS,e cretoafr y
theC ongregaftiootrnh eD octrinthee Foafi th-w!o ulhda vbee ekne pt
bacekv emno rfer ommy p ropweorr aks a r esuolftt h ei nfallibility debate.
ThiissJ ohannNeesu manwnh,o h ass howni nh iosf teunn knowwno raks
ac anonhioswte veinn t heC hurcthh el awe xistfsom re na ndn ot mfeonr
the law.
I am gratetfouB la den-Wiirttefmobrte hreug n usucaoln cessoifa o n
wholtee rms'tusd yl eavienwi nte1r9 73/O7n4l·y i nth isw ayc oultdh e
completioofthn i sb ooakv oibde inign definiptoesltyp oned.
Tiibin1g Aeungus,t 1974.