Vom kairós zum Ereignis: Martin Heideggers Auseinandersetzung mit dem Urchristentum
AbstractThe Greek term kairós signifies on the one hand an opportune moment and time for decision-making and on the other hand the unpredictable yet expected moment of Christ's return on the Judgment Day according to Paul. The goal of this essay is to establish the connection between kairós and Heidegger's central concept of ,,Ereignis", which he developed in his later years. The Freiburg lectures on the phenomenology of religious life from the early 1920s and the posthumously published works from the 1930s and 1940s will serve to illustrate how the tradition of the Greek and Christian kairós influenced Heidegger's development of the idea of possibly overcoming the chronometric and metaphysical understanding of time as ,,Jetztzeit". He was thus able to deny the ontological privilege of present and presence. The role of Paul is decisive for Heidegger's thinking: the factual experience of the first Christian communities has not only had an external influence on the ,,Daseinsanalytik"; it has also influenced the entire development of ,,Seinsgeschichte" and has had a significant impact on Heidegger's last attempt to define ,,Seinsgeschichte" itself through the ,,Ereignis" beyond any ontological perspective.