Moralisk historieskrivning - utan moralism. Kritiska anmärkningar till den moderna kyrkohistorien
Author
Summary, in English
A moral Historiography without Moralism. Critical views on modern Church History.
Efforts for realism without moral judgments have identified morals with present legislation. This leads to positivistic positions, where moral questions are being answered with references to historical legal situations only, without moral implications. With the political changes 1989-1990 followed a change in historiography. This became a problem to historians who saw their task not only in judgment, but in understanding and explaining history. A reverse danger is re-perspectivation and policial instrumentalisation. Post-modern theories may not excuse historical relativism. To avoid moralism, we must understand the difference between theological and political discourses. Moralism may be regarded as a secular confessionalism. Moralism in historiography will lead to immoral consequences. In moral historiography without moralism I find a position between moralism and relativism. Moral principles may be found in natural theology or in the Declaration of Human Rights. We encounter moral dilemmmas both in history and in future. While making moral judgements, we must understand history as a moral problem with several possibilities.
Efforts for realism without moral judgments have identified morals with present legislation. This leads to positivistic positions, where moral questions are being answered with references to historical legal situations only, without moral implications. With the political changes 1989-1990 followed a change in historiography. This became a problem to historians who saw their task not only in judgment, but in understanding and explaining history. A reverse danger is re-perspectivation and policial instrumentalisation. Post-modern theories may not excuse historical relativism. To avoid moralism, we must understand the difference between theological and political discourses. Moralism may be regarded as a secular confessionalism. Moralism in historiography will lead to immoral consequences. In moral historiography without moralism I find a position between moralism and relativism. Moral principles may be found in natural theology or in the Declaration of Human Rights. We encounter moral dilemmmas both in history and in future. While making moral judgements, we must understand history as a moral problem with several possibilities.
Department/s
Publishing year
2012
Language
Swedish
Pages
49-57
Publication/Series
Svensk Teologisk Kvartalskrift
Volume
88
Issue
2
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Gleerups Utbildning AB
Topic
- Religious Studies
Keywords
- moral
- moralism
- historiography
- church history
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 0039-6761