Zuschauender Beobachter - teilnehmendes Ich - Angeredeter Gottes: Wer ist der Mensch?

Von Seiten der Neurowissenschaften werden zunehmend Zweifel am traditionellen Menschenbild laut. Dem entgegen wird jedoch auf das subjektive Erleben verwiesen, das Handlungsfreiheit, Verantwortlichkeit oder Gläubigkeit als real empfindet. Christina Aus der Au schildert und diskutiert die verschiedenen Perspektiven, aus denen Theologie und Naturwissenschaften die Welt und den Menschen wahrnehmen. Die Autorin ergänzt eine weitere Sicht, die den Menschen als von Gott Angesprochenen begreift. Auf der Grundlage ihrer Analyse lassen sich neue Ansätze für den Dialog zwischen Theologie und Naturwissenschaften gewinnen.

Autorentext
Christina Aus der Au ist Dozentin für Religionen, Ethik und Politik an der Pädagogischen Hochschule Thurgau/Schweiz.

Klappentext

The modern neurosciences have declared a new image of humanity: We are no longer self-conscious beings with a body and soul, responsible for our own thoughts and deeds, created and loved by God; rather, we are biological ego machines with finite and mortal souls. However, it is argued from a philosophical and theological point of view that our subjective experience of free will, responsibility and capacity for faith is not well served by referring to the causal role of the neuronal activity in some part of the brain. One must delineate between the perspective of an observant neuroscience and that of a participant subject.Yet, the observing bystander and the participating self are ideal types - that nevertheless do interlock in theological reflection where we are dealing not with subjective faith but the contemplation thereof. And still: theological understanding is always committed to God as being considered something that remains inaccessible to our attempts at description.Christina Aus der Au suggests a specific theological perspective in which humans understand themselves as addressees of God, and in which this reflected self-image flows into our theological thoughts and discourse. The dispute with neuroscience allows a critical approach to the claims of the neuroscientific perspective of description as well as a critical self-reflection of one s own theological statements.

Leseprobe
Neuroscience increasingly questions the traditional idea of man, but the subjective sensation experiences freedom of action, responsibility and faith as something real. Christina Aus der Au depicts and discusses the different perspectives which theology and natural science have on world and man. She suggests another point of view that characterizes man as addressed by God. Based on her analysis the dialogue between theology and natural science can be enhanced.