Biblical theology

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The term Biblical Theology describes the following fields of activity in Christian theology :

The goal is to understand the entire Bible as a theological unit. The main problem of any biblical theology is the determination of the relationship between the Old and New Testaments.

Origin of Biblical Theology

An independent biblical theology (theologia biblica) came across for the first time in the middle of the 17th century with the Lutheran theologian Georg Calixt . He deliberately distinguished it from dogmatic theology (theologia dogmatica) or scholastic theology. As a philological interpretation of the texts, biblical theology wants to create a critical counterpart to dogmatic theology. In the course of the 18th century, biblical theology established itself as a counterweight to the alleged Hellenization and scholastization of theology in the course of church history . Hence there is also the claim of a “pure” Biblical theology . The inaugural lecture of Johann Philipp Gabler in Altdorf in 1787 deserves a special mention .

The further development of philological methods and historical research into the Bible consolidated the independent character of Biblical theology in the 19th century . The liberal theology focused on the historical-critical reconstruction of the historic core of the biblical writings.

For the practice of philological and historical interpretation of the biblical texts, see also: Biblical Exegesis

The theological content of the biblical texts

The historical-critical research of the biblical texts forms the prerequisite for the reconstruction of the theology of the individual biblical books or their authors. So one reconstructs z. B. a theology of Paul or a theology of pastoral letters. The term Biblical Theology can also stand as a sum for the different, diverging theologies of the biblical books or authors.

Ultimately, it is not possible to scientifically test the authenticity of the biblical texts. However, one can examine the biblical texts for their historicity.

Canonical Approach and Biblical Dogmatics

The original intention of Biblical Theology was to bring the special position of the Bible as Holy Scripture in theology and faith to the fore again in relation to a dogmatically patronizing and philosophically alienated theology. However, due to the further development of philological methods towards historical-critical research into biblical texts, biblical theology can no longer fulfill this task. Under the eye of the critical researcher, the unity of the biblical texts breaks down into a multitude of theological statements. This causes problems in particular for Protestant theology, in the context of which the term originated, since the scriptural principle presupposes an internal connection between the biblical texts. Against this background, new approaches to biblical theology emerged in the 20th century, which emphasized the unity of content in the biblical canon. At the same time, however, these approaches are based on the historical-critical interpretation and, in addition to the diversity of biblical statements, also try to work out and present the unity in the texts.

Brevard S. Childs

The American theologian and exegete Brevard S. Childs has taken on this problem: He is considered the founder of the canonical approach . In his Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testament , he tries to interpret the biblical texts in their canonical context. He starts from the historical-critical research of the texts, but regards the final form of the texts in the canon as the theologically binding version of the text. Therefore, its interpretation leads through the entire reconstruction of the oral and written history of the text up to its reception and placement in the biblical canon.

Tuebingen school

In German-language theology, the Tübingen School ( Peter Stuhlmacher , Hartmut Gese and others) tried to read the biblical texts in the context of the entire Bible. Unlike Childs, Stuhlmacher and Gese assume the religious-historical connection between the Old and New Testaments. Therefore, research into the time between the wills, i.e. the emergence and development of Judaism after exile, is of particular importance.

Theological Justifications for the Unity of the Bible

In contrast to these approaches, which remain largely in the exegetical, Friedrich Mildenberger emphasized that the unity of the biblical canon under the conditions of historical-critical exegesis can no longer simply be assumed, but requires a theological justification. In this context, Mildenberger falls back on the approaches of Lutheran orthodoxy , which established the unity and authority of Holy Scripture from its salvific effect. The biblical texts are only perceived as a unit if they produce faith. Biblical theology therefore presupposes a believing understanding of the biblical texts in everyday faith practice (Mildenberger speaks of the simple speech of God by believers) and reflects this understanding in terms of its theological structure. Seen in this way, biblical theology is only possible as biblical dogmatics .

The Old Testament scholar Meik Gerhards also undertakes a theological justification of the unity of the biblical canon . With reference to the "philosophy of religion" of Heinrich Scholz (1922) based on religious experience, it is justified that the Bible is Holy Scripture in the sense of a medium of revelation (medium of God's self-disclosure). Religious Bible experience also reveals the unity of Holy Scripture, whereby the God who gives manifestation in Christ proves to be the “authorial center” of Scripture (formulated following Ludger Schwienhorst-Schönberger ). Lines of flight from the historically and critically researched texts can be drawn towards this center in order to make the theological significance of the texts clear. It can also be done by looking at the texts under current issues. The current concerns then determine the historical-critical questions that are addressed to the text. This also corresponds to the justification of the biblical character of revelation, as the significant biblical experiences in church history, which are associated with names such as Augustine , Martin Luther , Johann Georg Hamann or Karl Barth, arose from a way of dealing with the Bible that was determined by existential questions was. Gerhards would like to practice "Biblical Theology" as a "bridging discipline" between exegesis and dogmatics or practical theology; It aims to combine the theological approach to Holy Scripture based on religious experience with the equally indispensable historical-critical approach. An overall draft is not yet available; Creation theology was presented as a model case based on biblical-theological work on Genesis 1 .

See also

literature

Introductions

Current drafts and approaches (selection)

  • Brevard S. Childs : Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments (2 vols.). London 1992 (German: Theology of the One Bible , 2 vols. Freiburg 1994/95).
  • Hartmut Gese : From Sinai to Zion. Old Testament contributions to biblical theology (contributions to evangelical theology; 64). Munich 1974, ISBN 3-459-00866-0 .
  • Hartmut Gese: On Biblical Theology. Old Testament lectures (contributions to Protestant theology; 78). Munich 1977, ISBN 3-459-01098-3 .
  • Hartmut Gese: Tradition and Biblical Theology. In: Odil Hannes Steck (ed.): On tradition and theology in the Old Testament (Biblical-theological studies; 2). Neukirchen-Vluyn 1978, ISBN 3-7887-0553-1 , pp. 87-111.
  • Hartmut Gese: Wisdom, the Son of Man and the Origins of Christology as the consistent development of biblical theology. In: Hartmut Gese: Old Testament Studies. Tübingen 1991, pp. 218-248.
  • Otto Betz : Jesus, the Messiah of Israel. Essays on Biblical Theology (WUNT 42). Tübingen 1987, ISBN 3-16-145163-5 .
  • Otto Betz: Jesus, Lord of the Church. Essays on Biblical Theology II (WUNT 52). Tübingen 1990, ISBN 3-16-145505-3 .
  • Peter Stuhlmacher : Scripture interpretation on the way to biblical theology . 1975.
  • Peter Stuhlmacher: Biblical Theology of the New Testament (2 vols.). Göttingen 1992/1993.
  • Peter Stuhlmacher: How do you practice biblical theology? 1995.
  • Hans Huebner: Biblical Theology of the New Testament (3 volumes). Goettingen 1990–1995.
  • Antonius HJ Gunneweg : Biblical Theology of the Old Testament. A religious history of Israel from a biblical-theological perspective . 1993.
  • Friedrich Mildenberger : Biblical dogmatics. A Biblical Theology from a Dogmatic Perspective . Vol. 1: Prolegomena. Understanding and validity of the Bible . 1991.
  • Meik Gerhards: Holy Scripture and Faith in Creation. Reflections on the foundation and a model case of biblical theology (Rostocker Theologische Studien 23). Münster 2010, ISBN 978-3-643-10767-1 .
  • Meik Gerhards: The diapers and the cribs in which Christ lies. Evangelical perspectives on Old Testament texts. In: Meik Gerhards: The indefinable god. Theological approaches to Old Testament and ancient oriental texts (Rostocker Theologische Studien 24). Münster 2011, ISBN 978-3-643-11326-9 , pp. 11-92.

History of Biblical Theology

  • Otto Merk : Biblical Theology of the New Testament in its early days. Your methodological problems with Johann Philipp Gabler and Georg Lorenz Bauer and their aftermath . Marburg Theological Studies 9. Elwert, Marburg 1972.
  • Hans-Joachim Kraus : History of the historical-critical research of the Old Testament. 4th edition. Neukirchen-Vluyn 1988, pp. 553-578.

Oldest sources on the history of biblical theology

  • Christoph Haymann : attempt of a biblical theology in tables containing in itself the example of the wholesome words of the revealed knowledge of God and Jesus Christ; In addition to a preliminary report of the divine revelation, as well as an advertisement of the best German writings, of all the main theological points. 1746.
  • Christian A. Doederlein : Solemn speech of the great advantages of biblical theology over scholastic. Hall 1760.
  • Gotthilf Traugott Zachariae : Philosophical-theological treatises to be used as supplements to biblical theology. Lemgo 1776.
  • Johann Philipp Gabler : On the correct distinction between biblical and dogmatic theology and the right determination of their two goals (De iusto discrimine theologiae biblicae et dogmaticae regundisque recte utriusque finibus). In: Georg Strecker (ed.): The problem of the theology of the New Testament. Ways of research 367. Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, Darmstadt 1975, pp. 32–44 (German translation of the Latin original).
  • Christoph Friedrich von Ammon : Draft of a pure biblical theology. Erlangen 1792.

Critique of Biblical Theology

  • William Wrede : On the task and method of the so-called New Testament theology . Göttingen 1897 (thesis: biblical exegesis should not be pursued as a theology, but as a history of religion).
  • Erich Gräßer : Open questions in the context of a biblical theology. In: Zeitschrift für Theologie und Kirche 77 (1980), pp. 200–221 (inquiries to Peter Stuhlmacher's concept).
  • Heikki Räisänen : Beyond New Testament Theology. A story and a program . London 1990 (German: New Testament theology? An alternative to the study of religion. Stuttgarter Bibelstudien 186, Stuttgart 2000).
  • Gerd Theißen : The religion of the first Christians. A theory of early Christianity . Gütersloh 2000 (works in religious studies, but does not deny the possibility of asking theological questions about the New Testament).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Art. Biblical Theology , www.bibelwissenschaft.de, accessed on January 19, 2013.