Die Analogie als Ansatz des Denkens

The essay traces Tübingen Systematic Theologian Eberhard Jüngel’s (1934–2021) interpretation of Parmenides within the context of his theology in order to demonstrate it as a worthwhile source for research into Jüngel’s own work. The aim is thus not a contribution to research on Parmenides, but to research on Jüngel himself. The first step is to examine the interpretation of Parmenides in the early study Zum Ursprung der Analogie bei Parmenides und Heraklit (1964) [On the Origin of Analogy in Parmenides and Heraclitus], according to which the Prescoratic provides an approach to thinking the being of that which is by way of language. In a second step, further mentions of Parmenides, also critical in nature, are examined in Jüngel’s work and theological parallels uncovered, which, thirdly, show that Parmenides has had a lasting impact on how the ontological question is asked in Jüngel’s theological thought.