Johannes der Täufer - eine entscheidende Wende vor Jesus?

Abstract

The importance of the Baptist for contemporary theology is often   underestimated. While psychoanalytic criticism of religion explains religious rites as   compulsory repetition, the Baptist replaced repetitive ablutions with a one-off   baptism. While religion sometimes fuels fanaticism against  other groups, his          repentence sermon aims to fight not enemies but one-self. While historical criticism            blurs Jesus in the fog, we can see traces of the history in traditions of the Baptist. The        Baptist offers also a solution for the theological criticism that sharply distinguishes        between God and man: If God can turn stones into his children, he has also the     authority to give a human  being  a divine status.