U radu su predstavljeni neki aspekti misli njemačkoga teologa Erika Petersona o biti, preduvjetima i ulozi teologije. U prvome dijelu donosi se njegov životopis i kratki oris njegova teološkoga profila. U drugome dijelu rada polazi se od Petersonova kritičkog stava spram dvojice suvremenika – Rudolfa Bultmanna i njegova shvaćanja teologije koja polazi od ljudske egzistencije te Karla Bartha i dijalektičke teologije. Iz Petersonove kritike dolazi se do njegova vlastitog shvaćanja teologije pri čemu se posebno obrađuje pojam dogme. Time se nastoji odrediti zašto taj pojam zauzima središnje mjesto u njegovu poimanju teologije i koje su njegove posljedice za istu.

The paper presents some aspects of thoughts of German theologian Erik Peterson about the essence, the preconditions and the role of theology. Its first part brings us his biography and a short outline of his theological profile. The second part starts with Peterson's critical attitude towards the two of his contemporaries – Rudolf Bultmann and his understanding of theology which originates from human existence and Karl Barth and his dialectical theology. With Peterson's criticism, we come to his own understanding of theology which specifically deals with the term of dogma. Thereby he endeavors to determine why this term takes a central place in his understanding of theology and which are the consequences for theology itself.