Luca Pellarin

The primary aim of this project is the critical reconstruction of some aspects of the thought of the German theologian Franz C. Overbeck (1837-1905), hardly known and “neglected” by scholars so far. With an historical-philosophical, hermeneutical and interdisciplinary approach, which mainly consists of personal historical-theoretical observations based on some (“aphoristic”) considerations of Overbeck, the purpose of the author is to provide some hints for the implementation of the “theory of resonance”. This is why a substantial amount of the research will be carried out on Kirchenlexicon, an extensive collection of reflections gathered for a profane history of the church (never written). It is expected that the “theory of resonance” will benefit from Overbeck’s eschatological perspective – a standpoint embraced by many theologians of his time. This is one of the various working hypotheses: Is it possible to establish a comparison between a. the existence of contemporary man characterised by the continuous perception of lack of time, a condition that often leads to the persistence of discomfort or even to diseases for which it is particularly complex to devise effective treatments; and b. the situation of the first Christians, who faced “the time that remains” (Letter to the Romans) oscillating between fear (stress?), hope, endeavour to do good and live according to the “Buona Novella” and – why not? – an understandable desire for personal fulfilment to be achieved as soon as possible (since they were convinced of an imminent return of a judging Christ)?