Abstract
Eduard Thurneysen (1888-1974) was a Swiss Reformed minister and theologian. He is known both for his foundational work in dialectical theology alongside Karl Barth and for his kerymatic pastoral theology as outlined in his 1946 book "Die Lehre von der Seelsorge". While most of Thurneysen reception has focussed either on his relationship to Karl Barth and early dialectical theology or on his practical technique of his pastoral care, I am interested primarily in the theological-anthropological assumptions that underpinned Thurneysen's pastoral praxis.
In this thesis, I address two questions: "What was Thurneysen's understanding of being human as it developed over the course of his life?" And, "What are the implications of his theological anthropology for the praxis of the church?" The thesis is divided into two main parts that correspond respectively to each question. In part one, I trace the chronological development of Thurneysen's theological anthropology. In part two, I explore further three key threads that emerge from part one: the practical, the pastoral, and the eschatological. I unpack these three aspects with the aid of three interlocutors: Ray Anderson, John Swinton, and Jürgen Moltmann.
For Thurneysen, the human being is a responsible person addressed by the living Word of God. The living God addresses the human being in the midst of the faith community, calling him or her into new reconciled relationship with God and others. Consequently, being human is a practical and pastoral reality that must be lived, drawing one into God's coming future and the realisation of God's good purposes for human life together.