Abstract

HOOGEN, Toine van den. In which time and world do we live?. Herv. teol. stud. [online]. 2023, vol.79, n.2, pp.1-6. ISSN 2072-8050.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/hts.v79i2.8637.

This article contributed to a project about Nature and Theology (Prof. Dr. J. Buitendag). The text questioned why our modern concept of nature must be reformulated in a contemporary concept of nature as the anthropocentrism of the modern concept of nature is criticised by a growing knowledge about the cohesion of many phenomena in the evolution of life on planet Earth. This criticism confronts theologians with fundamental deficiencies in their ongoing anthropological approach of life, especially human life. The article looked for a reinterpretation of mystical texts of Gregory of Nyssa in order to question whether this offers a new framework of a theological approach of a contemporary concept of nature. CONTRIBUTION: Within the project about Nature and Theology new questions arise as the concept of Nature has to be reformulated based on new insights in the evolution of life. Within the debates about the Anthropocene, the planet Earth is approached as being a living reality in one way or another. So theologians have to look for new theological approaches as well. This article suggested that concepts of Gregory of Nyssa contribute in this respect.

Keywords : anthropology; Anthropocene; Gaia-hypothesis; mysticism; Gregory of Nyssa.

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