Krister Stendahl

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Krister Stendahl (born April 21, 1921 in Stockholm , † April 15, 2008 in Boston , Massachusetts , USA ) was a Swedish Lutheran theologian . He was professor of New Testament at Harvard Divinity School and 1984–1988 bishop in the diocese of Stockholm .

Life

After studying Protestant theology at Uppsala University , Stendahl was ordained a pastor in 1944 and worked as a pastor in Västerhaninge . In 1948 he became a student pastor at Uppsala University, where he took on an assistant position in 1951 and in 1954 with an investigation into the Gospel of Matthew for Dr. theol. received his doctorate. In the same year he went to the Harvard Divinity School as a professor, where he also served as dean from 1968 to 1979. At the same time he worked as a moderator of the Committee for the Church and the Jewish People (CCJP) of the World Council of Churches on a new orientation in the relationship of the churches to Judaism . Called to his hometown as bishop in 1984, he campaigned, among other things, to strengthen the Church of Sweden's commitment to peace, justice and the integrity of creation , but also to the ordination of women (on which he had published an important exegetical work in 1966 ) and the rights of homosexuals in the Church .

After retiring, he returned to Harvard in 1989 and took on the position of chaplain (university chaplain ), while continuing to teach there and at Brandeis University .

Work and meaning

In addition to his contributions to interreligious, especially Judeo-Christian dialogue, Stendahl is best known for his essay The Apostle Paul and the Introspective Conscience of the West (first 1963). With his thesis that the occidental interpretation of Paul's theology wrongly saw the doctrine of justification as a key category, he worked on the so-called New Perspective on Paul . The article was also published in German in 1978.

Stendahl received several honorary doctorates , including a. from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota (1971), Miami University in Oxford, Ohio (1978), Brandeis University (1981) and the University of St Andrews (1987). In 1962 he was appointed to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences .

Fonts (selection)

  • The school of St. Matthew, and its use of the Old Testament. CWK Gleerup, Lund, 1954; 2nd ed. 1968.
  • Scrolls and the New Testament. NY: Harper, 1957; SCM Press, 1958. Reprint ISBN 0-8371-7171-7 .
  • The Apostle Paul and the Introspective Conscience of the West. In: Harvard Theological Review 56 (1963), pp. 199-215.
  • The Bible and the Role of Women. Fortress Press, Philadelphia 1966.
  • (with Theodore Runyon): What the Spirit is Saying to the Churches: Essays. Hawthorn Books, 1975. ISBN 0-8015-8546-5 .
  • Paul Among Jews and Gentiles and Other Essays. Augsburg Fortress, 1977. ISBN 0-8006-1224-8 (German: The Jew Paulus and we Heiden: Inquiries to occidental Christianity (Kaiser tracts 36). Chr. Kaiser, Munich 1978. ISBN 3-459-01177-7 )
  • Meanings: The Bible As Document and As Guide. Fortress Press, Philadelphia 1984. ISBN 0-8006-1752-5
  • Holy Week Preaching. Fortress Press, Philadelphia 1985. ISBN 0-8006-1851-3
  • Energy for Life: Reflections on a Theme: "Come Holy Spirit, Renew the Whole Creation". Paraclete Press, 1990. ISBN 2-8254-0986-3 ISBN 1-55725-233-5 (German: ... and the spirit is life-giving. Thoughts on the subject of "Come, Holy Spirit - renew all of creation . Geneva 1990)
  • Final Account: Paul's Letter to the Romans. Augsburg Fortress, 1995. ISBN 0-8006-2922-1 (German: Das Vermächtnis des Paulus. A new view of the letter to the Romans . Theological publishing house, Zurich 2001).
  • On the situation of the New Testament exegesis around 1930. Memories and reflections . In: Biblical Interpretation and Ecumenical Passion. The contributions to the Scientific Symposium on the occasion of Oscar Cullmann's 100th birthday . Edited by Rudolf Brändle. Reinhardt, Basel 2002, pp. 207–215.

literature

  • George Nickelsburg, George Macrae (Eds.): Christians Among Jews and Gentiles: Essays in Honor of Krister Stendahl on His 65th Birthday. Fortress Press, Philadelphia 1986. ISBN 0-8006-1943-9
  • Richard A. Horsley (Ed.): Paul and Politics: Ekklesia, Israel, Imperium, Interpretation. Essays in Honor of Krister Stendahl. Trinity Press, 2000. ISBN 1-56338-323-3
  • Paula Fredriksen, Jesper Svartvik (eds.): Krister Among the Jews and Gentiles: Essays in Appreciation of the Life and Work of Krister Stendahl. Paulist Press, 2018.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Stendahl, Krister
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swedish Lutheran theologian
DATE OF BIRTH April 21, 1921
PLACE OF BIRTH Stockholm
DATE OF DEATH April 15, 2008
Place of death Boston , Massachusetts , USA