Wolfgang Stegemann

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Wolfgang Stegemann (born November 8, 1945 in Barkhausen an der Porta ) is an Evangelical Lutheran theologian and professor emeritus for the New Testament at the Augustana University in Neuendettelsau , where he taught from 1984 to 2010. He established the socio-historical exegesis of the New Testament and campaigned against anti-Semitism in theology, church and society.

Career

Stegemann received his doctorate in 1975 under Lothar Steiger at the University of Heidelberg with a thesis on the hermeneutics by Rudolf Bultmann . In 1983 he received his habilitation at the same university with a thesis on the historical-social situation of the Lukan double work. From 1973–1977 he was assistant for the New Testament at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and 1979–1984 as assistant for systematic theology and the New Testament at the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg . From 1984 to 2010 he was August Strobel's successor professor at the New Testament chair at the Augustana University in Neuendettelsau. His successor is his former assistant Christian Strecker . His twin brother Ekkehard Wilhelm Stegemann was professor of New Testament theology at the University of Basel .

On the occasion of his 70th birthday in 2015, he was honored by the Augustana University Neuendettelsau in a ceremony by the Rector of the University of Applied Sciences Christian Strecker for his advocacy of “Western values”. On the same occasion, a collection of articles by Stegemann was published with the title: Argumentable exegesis .

Research approaches

In addition to Gerd Theißen , Bruce J. Malina u. a. be able to establish the socio-historical interpretation of the Bible in the New Testament sub-discipline. Research focuses on the social history of early Christianity and the cultural anthropology of the New Testament. In addition, there are also publications on contemporary history.

In Jesus und seine Zeit (2010), Stegemann examines the consequences of an “ethnicity model” of Judaism , in contrast to a modern conception of religion in the sense of an “abstraction and objectification of a complex reality” (WC Smith). In contrast, in the ancient Mediterranean cultures, religious beliefs and practices were embedded in the social institutions of community and family. Stegemann is insofar E. P. Sanders ' notion of "generic Judaism" ( common Judaism ) also, when he also sees as essential to the collective identity of the people of Judah residential language, narratives or morals. From this he derives his criticism of a view of ancient Judaism that focuses on the fragmentation into different "sects". In addition, the question of the fundamental attitude of the historical Jesus to the Torah was posed incorrectly, since this was an indispensable part of his Jewish identity, understood in this way as comprehensive. The conflicts with other teachers of the law handed down in the New Testament could only ever be about differences of opinion on questions of interpretation within the Jewish tradition, never about their questioning as such.

Stegemann is a member of the Context Group and co-editor of the magazine Kirche und Israel .

Positions on anti-Semitism

Stegemann is of the opinion that traditional anti-Semitism has shifted from “the Jews” to “the State of Israel ”. As co-editor of the magazine Kirche und Israel , he supports theological articles as well as the publication of articles that deal with the position of the State of Israel, for example on the Goldstone report or the publications of the Israeli historian Shlomo Sand . Political activist Alan M. Dershowitz also published an article .

In February 2012, Stegemann criticized the Baden regional bishop Ulrich Fischer in an open letter for expressing appreciation for the recipient of the Aachen Peace Prize 2008 and the German Media Prize 2011, Pastor Mitri Raheb from Bethlehem. Stegemann, on the other hand, claims that Raheb propagates the “'de-Judaization' of Jesus” and ties in with “Nazi theologians”.

On June 4, 2013, Stegemann accused the World Council of Churches of “anti-Semitic propaganda” and “hateful distortions of Israel” in an open letter he wrote with his brother . Stegemann himself, on the other hand, advocates the right of the State of Israel “to a state in the biblical land of Israel” and justifies the pro-Israel “Christian Zionists” criticized by the Council. The General Secretary of the Council, Olav Fykse Tveit, sees in these statements by Stegemann an irresponsible handling of the anti-Semitism allegation, which aims to demonize any criticism of the occupation policy of the State of Israel.

Publications (selection)

  • Co-editor of the magazine Kirche und Israel , Neukirchener Verlagsgesellschaft, Neukirchen-Vluyn, ISSN  0179-7239 .
  • The gospel and the poor. On the origin of the theology of the poor in the New Testament , Munich 1981.
  • Jesus of Nazareth - Hope of the Poor , together with Luise Schottroff , Stuttgart ³1990.
  • Little People's God. Social historical interpretation of the Bible (Ed., Together with Willy Schottroff) (2 vol.), Munich ²1979.
  • Church and National Socialism (Ed.), 2., revised. and exp. Ed., Stuttgart 1992.
  • Early Christian social history. The beginnings in Judaism and the Christ communities in the Mediterranean world , together with Ekkehard W. Stegemann, Stuttgart 1997.
  • Jesus and his time , Stuttgart 2010, ISBN 3-17-012339-4 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Wolfgang Stegemann: The way of thinking Rudolf Bultmanns: Presentation of the development and the foundations of his theology , Stuttgart 1978, ISBN 978-3-17-004831-7 .
  2. ↑ Wolfgang Stegemann: Between Synagoge and Authorities , Göttingen 1991, ISBN 3-525-53816-2 .
  3. ↑ C. Strecker, eulogy for the 70th by Wolfgang Stegemann [1]
  4. ^ W. Stegemann: Argumentable exegeses. Social history, cultural anthropological and ideology-critical readings of New Testament texts , Stuttgart 2015
  5. ↑ Wolfgang Stegemann: Jesus and his time ; Stuttgart 2010; ISBN 978-3-17-012339-7 ; Pp. 211-215, 219-236, 263-266, 276f.
  6. ↑ Wolfgang Stegemann: From the "rejection" of Israel to the "permanent election" - progress in the Christian relationship to Judaism ; in: Church and Israel 1/2011.
  7. ^ Church and Israel
  8. ^ Alan M. Dershowitz: WikiLeaks and the Goldstone Report ; in: Church and Israel 1/2011.
  9. ↑ Albrecht Lohrbächer, Ekkehard Stegemann, Wolfgang Stegemann, John Riegger, Petra Marzinzig, Eva Vöhringer: Open letter to the bishop of the Evangelical Church in Baden, Dr. Ulrich Fischer ; Audiatur Online, February 28, 2012
  10. ↑ Theologians criticize Bishop for praise for media award winner Raheb - Fleckenstein: No public statement by the church leadership ( Memento of May 5, 2012 in the Internet Archive ); epd State Service Southwest, March 2, 2012.
  11. ^ A b Ekkehard Stegemann, Wolfgang Stegemann: Open letter to SEK and EKD ; Society for Christian-Jewish Cooperation; 4th June 2013
  12. ↑ Christian Presence and Christian Witness in the Middle East ; Declaration by the World Council of Churches and the Council of Churches in the Middle East dated May 29, 2013.
  13. ↑ World Council of Churches rejects accusations of anti-Semitism ; epd article in the Jüdischen Allgemeine , June 17, 2013
personal data
SURNAME Stegemann, Wolfgang
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German Evangelical Lutheran theologian and professor of the New Testament
DATE OF BIRTH November 8, 1945
PLACE OF BIRTH Barkhausen at the Porta