ABSTRACT
The context of the contemporary turn to the church is clearly very different from that of the earlier one. Most obviously, the contemporary turn takes place in a different time. Notwithstanding the contextual differences, however, there is a highly interesting similarity between the two turns. The two turns differ a great deal in their sources and dialogue partners, for the obvious reason that they took place at different times. Remarkably and significantly, the earlier and the present turn thus both shift toward an epistemology that views knowledge as rooted in a traditioned ecclesial praxis instead of in neutral reason. Due to Wittgenstein's and MacIntyre's influence, the contemporary theologians more strongly emphasize praxis and tradition than the earlier theologians did. They focused on the liturgy while rejecting mere aestheticism, and found in it a source for theology that could help to avoid the pitfalls of rationalism.
