Theological Ethics and Global Dynamics at the Beginning st of the 21 Century Von William Schweiker th
It is an honor for me to be part of this celebration of the 50 anniversary of the Zeitschrift für Evangelische Ethik. I want to thank especially Professor Johannes Fischer, the present editor, for the invitation to join this conference. It would be difficult to name another theological journal in the German speaking world that has been as important in addressing the pressing ethical and political issues of our time. What is more, in a period dominated by dogmatic and ecclesial theology, the very idea of focusing on »ethics« was radical and far-sighted. The early work of the journal was also set against the traumatic reality of war, both Hot and Cold, a reality exemplified in this great and historic city of Berlin. In our world, ethical questions that surround political, economic, ecological, and bio-medical realities, just to name a few, demand attention. The ways in which those questions are answered will determine the fate of life on this planet. It is time that we assess the current situation. That is, I suppose, the deeper purpose of this conference. And it is why I have been asked to speak on »theological ethics and global dynamics«. Again, thank you for the honor of the invitation to be at this event. I must make a confession. When I visit this country I am embarrassed by the fact in scholarly settings that I am more easily understood in English than German, although I can use my German abilities reasonably well in a conversational setting. Still, if I want to be understood at this conference, I must give this lecture in English! Because of the theme of my remarks, maybe that fact makes some sense. One important aspect of global dynamics is the dominance of certain languages that interface with the global market and media systems; the main one, of course, is English. Daily one witnesses the extinction of languages and cultural forms. My use of English is more than an admission of weakness; it is also the recognition of the ambiguous power of the dominant languages in our age. I am deeply thankful for your understanding of these matters. Let me now explain the theme and structure of my lecture.
1. Theme and Structure The assignment I have been given in this lecture, if I understand rightly, is to answer this question: what ought to be the form and task of theological ethics for the global reality of the 21st century? That is a rather daunting question, and in order to answer it one must be willing to make some bold statements. I will leave to you the judgment about the adequacy of my proposal, but I contend that in order to meet the challenge of the 21st century we need a theological ethics of responsibility for the integrity of life from the perspective of theological humanism. Of course, each term in this proposal will need to be explained in due course. Yet it seem clear to me that the moral challenge facing people around the world is to transform destructive and dehumanizing forces within their religions and cultures in light of relations and reactions to others and the whole community of life endangered on this planet. I admit that much more detailed work is 72