Aan God recht doen: Systematische theologie tussen analyse en hermeneutiek

In this reply to Schaafsma a.o., the author argues that it is inevitable that hermeneutics is part of the enterprise of systematic theology, and that the approach of Schaafsma a.o. has the following advantages: (1) It is applicable within secular universities; (2) It appeals to the many who have few religious certainties but are seeking for religious truth; (3) It can be applied in comparative theology and interreligious dialogue. Nevertheless, he argues that the hermeneutical approach that is proposed by itself does not suffice as the method of systematic theology, because (1) It does not enable theologians to go beyond the interpretation of texts and to check their theological proposals against the realities behind these texts, and (2) It no longer takes it starting point in faith, thus assimilating systematic theology to the humanities. If confessional theology would limit itself to this, it would lose its reason for existence.