Philosophen, Theologen und Soziologen deuteten in der ersten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts die Technik als ein die gesamte Lebenswirklichkeit prägendes Phänomen. Dabei entwickelten sie sehr unterschiedliche Positionen. Walter Benjamin sah in der Technik einen Weg, die Wirklichkeit neu zu konstruieren; Rudolf Bultmann nahm die Technik zum Anlass, das Transzendente neu zu bestimmen. Der Band bietet in Teil I Rekonstruktionen klassischer Positionen der Technikdeutung: Max Weber, Ernst Troeltsch, Paul Tillich, Rudolf Bultmann, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Walter Benjamin, Martin Heidegger. Die Beiträge in Teil (...) II des Bandes thematisieren neuere theologische Zugänge zur Technik. (shrink)

The author describes the debate about human gene therapy in Germany and the USA and discusses some arguments that were put forward against the new technique. Some objektions are often called »emotional«. It is argued that these »emotions« are the quite rational cultural experience that led to the idea of »human dignity« in former centuries.

The paper argues that the history of technology proves some common assumptions of the theological treatment of technology to be wrang. Therefore both the relation of technology to the Christian culture and the place of technology within Christian doctrine have to be reconsidered. As technology does not merely Substitute but supplements the existing the idea of the concursus divinus is a more adequate expression for a theological understanding of technology than the doctrine of creation. In terms of method the ethics (...) of technology deals with the different perceptions of a given technique, which is tobe evaluated with respect to its many places in contemporary culture. (shrink)