Powerful Images. On the Significance of the Metaphor for F. Nietzsche and K. Michalski and its Implications for Theology

Abstract

The crisis of the theological language has been a subject of heated debate for a long time. Johann Baptist Metz even stated that the “Gotteskrise” (crisis of God) is in the first place a crisis of language. However, the identification of a new and appropriate language is not an easy task and – as the History of the Church shows – it is always a work of several generations. The following text refers to the importance of metaphors for theological language. A metaphor is understood not only as a literary form, but also as a method which next to understanding touches on emotions and the imagination giving it a special persuasive power. It should not replace the reflective language of theology, but complement it. The Polish philosopher Krzysztof Michalski discovered in the work of Nietzsche the idea that a metaphor on the one hand has a concrete effect, but on the other hand shows that the most important thoughts can only be expressed in this form. Simple terms can never encompass all of life, there is always a greater sense to them than the mere words suggest. Therefore, metaphors in Nietzsche’s texts become metadefinitions, which always refer to something else, to something larger, to the limit of our knowledge. Even though the metaphor will not solve the problem of the crisis of language in theology, it points to an important aspect of religious speech. It is a suitable – though not the only one – means of reflection on the Revelation, which ultimately does not only provide information about God, but aims at our life and wants to lead us to a communion with God.