The Role of Non-Christian Religions in the Apologetics of Professor Lambert Ehrlich

Nik Trontelj

The Role of Non-Christian Religions in the Apologetics of Professor Lambert Ehrlich

Key words: Lambert Ehrlich, non-Christian religions, apologetics, religious studies, fundamental theology, revelation, Faculty of Theology

Abstract:
Theologian and professor Lambert Ehrlich (1878–1942) was an internationally renowned expert on the history and theology of religions. He was teaching religious studies, missiology and apologetics at the Faculty of Theology in Ljubljana. He included the subject matter of non-Christian religions in all his subjects. Ehrlich defended Christianity in relation to non-Christian religions as the main purpose of his scientific work was to prove the truth of the Christian revelation, passed on by the Catholic Church. In apologetics, he was discussing living and ancient religions and wanted to prove their fallacies. A peculiarity of his apologetics is the comparison of analogies in the religious texts of ancient peoples and in the Old Testament. The examples of other religions in his teaching are only in the service of the defense of the Biblical revelation and Christianity. Ehrlich’s comprehension of non-Christian religions is in accordance with the theological standards of the first half of the twentieth century when the magisterium of the Catholic Church was not yet encouraging interreligious dialogue.

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