RHETORIC OF LOVE, JUSTICE, AND PATIENCE IN THE THEOLOGICAL DISCOURSE OF EBERHARD JÜNGEL

Abstract

The article explores the theological foundations of theonomic rhetoric in the works of the German Protestant theologian Eberhard Jüngel (1934–2021), focusing on the categories of love, justice, and patience as the core of Christian communication. Jüngel's fundamental thesis, “God is love,” is understood as both an ontological and communicative paradigm that redefines the role of language: not merely as a neutral vehicle for transmitting information, but as an event of reciprocity, truth, and transformation. On this basis, Christian rhetoric is interpreted as testimony rooted in dignity, mercy, and responsibility, resisting manipulation, coercion, and fear. Methodologically, the study combines hermeneutical analysis (reconstruction of key theological concepts within their biblical and historical context), discourse analysis (examining rhetorical strategies that shift ‘logos’ from abstract truth to a relational event), and a comparative approach (juxtaposing Jüngel's conception of divine justice with perspectives of Hans Jonas, Jürgen Moltmann, Johann Baptist Metz, as well as Aristotle, Kant, and Luther). This interdisciplinary design highlights how Jüngel integrates theology, philosophy, and rhetoric into a unified vision of communicative action grounded in love.The findings demonstrate that Jüngel reconceptualizes divine justice not as retributive or distributive but as transformative grace, rooted in God's creative and redemptive action. Equally significant is his interpretation of patience as an active expression of love that opens up space for human freedom, dialogue, and responsibility, challenging punitive and coercive images of God. The cross of Christ emerges as the ultimate rhetorical act – a silent yet decisive word of love that reshapes both speaker and recipient. By tracing how Jüngel's categories acquire communicative force, the article shows their relevance for contemporary ethics of dialogue, rhetoric of non-violence, and public Christian witness. In this way, Jüngel's theology not only restores salvific depth to language but also contributes to interdisciplinary discussions in philosophy, communication studies, and linguistics, providing a framework for truthful, loving, and transformative human interaction.