Nikola Knežević
Protestant Theological Faculty
Novi Sad

CONCEPT OF HOPE IN THEOLOGY OF JÜRGEN MOLTMANN

Abstract

Theology of hope represents fundamental principle of Moltmann's theological reflection and it represents his first major contribution to the wider academic community. Eschatology is key perspective from which all theological reflections should be derived from. Theology of hope makes eschatology its central governing concept; all other teachings revolve around eschatology, and are only properly understood in that view. The implication of this focus on the future is not withdrawal from the world in hope that a better world will somehow evolve. Rather, the theology of hope advocates active participation in the world in order to speed the coming of that better world. With Theology of Hope, Moltmann tried to present the Christian hope is no longer as such an "opium of the beyond" but rather as the divine power that makes us alive in this world.

Key words: hope, eschatology, principle of hope, church and society, political theology.