Geschichte

As we think about God and history, I remember a conference at the University of Chicago Divinity School, which I had the privilege of attending from 1967-1969.

Scholars were addressing an audience made up largely of pastors. German theologians were very much in vogue in those days. Moltmann and Bultmann and Barth and Brunner. Their ideas and categories structured many academic debates. Did anybody finally care in the congregations? No one was ever really sure. Maybe, they did,maybe they didn't; but this was seminary and our task was to think deeply about religion and worry about the application later. A good task it was and is.

Anyway, the scholars were debating and discussing the issues of history and holy history. The German words were `geschichte' and `heilgeschichte'. Back and forth the debate sometimes raged, but more often just limped along.

At the end of the day, one seasoned, gravely voiced pastor stood and spoke briefly and to the point. He said,"We've heard today a lot about geschichte and heilgeschichte, but as far as I'm concerned, it's mostly horsegeschichte."