INTERPRETACION DE LOS RESULTADOS

In 1958, Hromadka p u b lis h e d h is f i r s t s y s te m a tic th e o lo g ic a l work "Das Evangel ium a u f dem Wege Zum Menschen". In t h i s he gave a f u l l a cco u n t o f how God came t o man, and th e n , how th e Church o u g h t t o fo llo w th e f o o t p r in t s o f i t s L o rd ’ s way t o man. In t h i s s e c tio n , I w i l l a tte m p t t o f o llo w t h i s sequence in o rd e r t o u nd e rstan d th e m a jo r themes o f h is th e o lo g y in a communist c o n te x t, t h a t is , a ) h is C h r is to lo g ic a l th o u g h t, b ) th e s o -c a lle d p h ilo s o p h y o f h is t o r y and c ) h is e c c le s io lo g y .

C h ris to lo g y

As d iscu sse d above, Hromadka was under th e in flu e n c e o f lib e r a l th e o lo g ia n s d u rin g h is th e o lo g ic a l t r a in in g in H e id e lb e rg . A t t h a t tim e he even d enied th e d i v i n i t y o f C h r is t. B ut under th e shock o f th e F ir s t W orld War, he r e a liz e d th e weakness o f lib e r a l th e o lo g y and he tu rn e d to em phasize th e th e o lo g y o f God. Around 1924 he became a cq u a in te d w ith th e w orks o f K a rl B a rth , Emil B ru nn e r, and o f t h e ir f r ie n d s , w ith t h e ir em phasis on C h ris to lo g y . Thus, th e In c a rn a tio n ceased t o be a movement fro m th e bottom tow ard th e to p , as T ro e s ltc h d id , b u t ra th e r fro m th e to p t o th e bottom .

Hromadka c o n s id e rs th e c ru x o f C h ris tia n th e o lo g y as b e in g dependant on th e r ig h t in t e r p r e t a tio n o f John 1 :1 -1 4 and Roman 1 1 :1 3 - 22. The fo rm e r is a b o u t C h ris to lo g y and th e l a t t e r is a bo u t th e judgm ent o f God on C h r is tia n s e lf-rig h te o u s n e s s . He u nd e rstan d s t h a t

th e e s s e n tia l theme o f th e O ld and New Testam ents is th e s to r y o f th e Lord A lm ig h ty , th e t r iu n e God, e te r n a l, o m n ip o te n t, rig h te o u s in grace and g ra c io u s in rig h te o u s n e s s , descending fro m th e g lo r y o f heaven and fo llo w in g s in f u l men who have fo rs a k e n th e p a ra d is e and a re

e v e r s in c e w a lk in g , s tu m b lin g , e r r in g in t h e i r p a th o f d is o b e d ie n c e , yes, o f r e v o lt a g a in s t h im J

The Gospel o f Jesus is a D iv in e o u tc ry : Seek man in h is tr u e e x is te n c e . C h ris to lo g y is e v id e n tly h is p o in t o f d e p a rtu re .

Hromadka fo llo w s th e C halcedonian cre e d , c o n fe s s in g th a t th e in c a rn a tio n means t h a t God was in th e fle s h o f C h r is t and became a human, b u t t h a t God rem ains God and human rem ains human. The in c a rn a tio n is an e v e n t between heaven and e a rth , between God and man, a d iv in e in te r v e n tio n , a re a l s tru g g le w ith th e r e a lit y o f s in and d e a th , a s tru g g le w hich c u lm in a te d in th e moment when Jesus d ie d as th e g re a t s in n e r, y e t w ith o u t sin.% In c a rn a tio n is th e way in w hich God searches f o r man. For Hromadka, th e meaning o f th e in c a rn a tio n is as fo llo w s . F i r s t l y , God becomes man and t h i s has n o th in g t o do w ith th e d ig n it y and th e im p o rta n ce o f mankind h im s e lf. God becanes fle s h n o t because Jesus m a n ife s ts th e g lo r io u s and re s p e c ta b le q u a lit ie s o f h um an ity, b u t on th e c o n tra ry , Jesus becomes fle s h and comes in th e fle s h under th e c o n d itio n and in th e s it u a t io n o f s in f u l and m o rta l h um an ity. T h a t means t h a t Jesus is t o t a l l y id e n t if ie d w ith th e lo w e s t, lo n e lie s t , m ost h e lp le s s and m is e ra b le c o n d itio n s o f man. T h is fundam ental em phasis is v e ry im p o rta n t t o Hromadka because th e in c a rn a tio n means God’ s s o lid a r it y w ith th e most w re tch ed o f m ankind. F u rth e r, in c a rn a tio n and s o lid a r it y a ls o mean t h a t God goes in t o t h e ir deepest depth o f m ankind, t h a t is , in t o t h e ir m is e ry , h e lp le s s n e s s and s u ffe r in g . T h a t is why Hromadka fr e q u e n tly urges th e Church to go t o th e "deepest depth" o f m ankind.

1. J.L.H rom adka, Theology Between Yesterday and Tonvrrow (P h ila d e p h ia : F o rtre s s , 1957), p . 38

2. J.L.H rom adka, "Jesus C h r is t and th e P re se n t D is tr e s s ." In : Theology Today, V o l. 2 (1 9 4 5 ), p . 32.

a l l human f r o n t ie r s have been d is s o lv e d th ro u g h th e Sermon on th e Mount, t h a t is , a l l human, r e lig io u s and s o c ia l in s t it u t io n have been superseded by th e tra n s c e n d in g O rder o f God’ s kingdom Jesus o f N azareth has n o t come to p ro c la im a new W eltanschauung a g a in s t th e o ld , o r t o b u ild a new r e lig io u s o rg a n iz a tio n a g a in s t th e s in f u l and d is b e lie v in g w o rld ; He has come in o rd e r t o s e rv e , t o save

S econdly, he a s s e rts t h a t th e re d em ptive w ork o f Jesus is o n ly p o s s ib le in th e in c a rn a tio n o f God H im s e lf. In c a rn a tio n breaks th ro u g h a l l th e immanent ways o f th in k in g a bo u t God and a ls o th ro u g h th e s p e c u la tiv e and m y s tic w o rld o f H e lle n is m and O rie n ta lis m . In c a rn a tio n r e je c ts th e Id e a o f P la to , th e Prim e Mover o f A r is t o t le , th e C a te g o ric a l Im p e ra tiv e o f K ant, th e A b s o lu te o f S c h e llin g and th e U n ive rse o f S ch le ie rm a ch e r because God r e a lly comes t o th e human w o rld and p a r tic ip a te s in human h is t o r y . Any tr u e p h ilo s o p h y o f God demands in c a rn a tio n . And o n ly in c a rn a tio n g iv e s a s a tis fa c t o r y answer t o th e human search f o r t r u t h and f o r th e adequate u n d e rsta n d in g o f U ltim a te

R e a lity . Here, Hromadka d em on stra te s t h a t th e in c a rn a tio n and th e ! h is to r y o f man a re in s e p a ra b le . T h a t means t h a t C h r is t ca nn o t be 4

u nd e rstoo d w ith o u t r e fe r r in g t o H is re a l presence in th e human w o rld . A t th e same tim e , th e Church o u g h t to fo llo w i t s Lord and be in v o lv e d

in th e making o f h is to r y as He is in v o lv e d in h is t o r y .

T h ir d ly , th e in c a rn a tio n does n o t draw a lin e around th o se who j

4 have been saved, o r g a th e r a l l th e rig h te o u s to g e th e r t o fo rm a I

s o c ie ty a p a rt fro m s in n e rs and common p e o p le , o r o rg a n iz e a crusade î a g a in s t u n b e lie v e rs . The e n t ir e w o rld is th e realm o f Je su s’ s

re d em ptive a c tio n . He comes t o d ie f o r a l l men no m a tte r w h ether th e y b e lie v e in Him o r n o t. Jesus tre a d s th e lo w e s t abyss o f th e human s it u a t io n and e xte n d s h is hands t o e v e ry man and b rin g s up th e wounds o f e v e ry s u ffe r in g human c re a tu re . In h is book "Gospel fo r A th e is ts ', Hromadka c la im s t h a t

and th ro u g h t h i s t o ju d g e man o f h is f a ls e p io u sn e ss, s e lf - rig h te o u s n e s s and d is b e lie f.®

F o u rth ly , th e in c a rn a tio n is th e word o f th e p ro p h e ts , th e word o f judgm ent and m ercy, o f h o lin e s s and g ra ce, o f t r u t h and lo v e w hich p u ts a l l e a r th ly a rro g a n t c la im s , com placent id e a s , and h a lf t r u t h t o shame. The re a l presence o f C h r is t means th e presence o f th e A lm ig h ty , th e s o v e re ig n , and supreme L ord. There a re no b o u n d a rie s to l i m i t H is lo v e , presence and s o v e re ig n ty in th e w o rld . F u rth e rm o re , th e in c a rn a tio n is a ls o a c a llin g f o r repentance and change.

Hromadka’ s u n d e rs ta n d in g o f th e in c a rn a tio n le a d s him to co nclud e t h a t

a C h r is to lo g ic a l fo rm u la ca nn o t be a y a r d s tic k o r c lu b f o r m easuring and b it in g and c r i t i c i z i n g . I t is C h r is t h im s e lf. B ut ra th e r lik e a s ig n p o s t d ir e c tin g th e d is o rie n te d minds and h e a rts in th e r ig h t d ir e c t io n .^

The Gospel is "Yes' and "Amen". O nly on th e ground o f t h is "Yes", i t is a ls o a judgm ent. The p rie s th o o d o f Jesus is a n o th e r m a jo r theme in h is th o u g h t, th a t is , Jesus d ie d on b e h a lf o f th e s in o f m ankind. In a d d itio n , w ith th e in s ig h t and e s c h a to lo g ic a l em phasis o f th e Bohemian R e fo rm a tio n , he is aware t h a t th e kingdom o f God can never be