„Der Ewige“ als „Synthese“ des Stern. Der Gebrauch des Gottesnamens „der Ewige“ bei Franz Rosenzweig

Abstract

In his famous final essay Franz Rosenzweig neglects to mention that he had referred to the expression “the Eternal” already in The Star of Redemp­tion. Through a comprehensive analysis of his writings, and in particular of his masterpiece, the article seeks to research thoroughly Rosenzweig’s use of this expression. The revelation of God’s name is a core issue in The Star of Redemption. While elaborating on the structure of the Star, Rosenzweig seeks to cap­ture the crucial meaning of God’s name by translating it as “the Eternal,” thereby enabling us to consider the thought of eternity as presenting the “synthesis” within the system of The Star of Redemption. Commonly perceived to convey an infinite progression of time, Rozenzweig’s understanding of the concept of eternity in The Star proves to be richer, including the idea of the everlasting as well as the notion of a constantly renewing presence. The article furthermore shows that the concept of the meaning of God’s name oriented at the present, as de­vised by Rosenzweig together with Martin Buber in their joint work of transla­tion, had already been articulated in The Star.