New Testament exegesis deals with texts from antiquity. Its contribution to theology, at least in part, is to search for a model of Christian origins. The necessity to consider insights from theory of history is, therefore, obvious. - Current discussion in the theory of historiography has brought to the fore the need to integrate historical criticism and constructive imagination in a theoretical concept. Already Johann Gustav Droysen has pointed out that historical criticism does not search for "the historical fact", but has to be supplemented by "interpretation" to create a picture of the past. The newly inaugurated discourse between historical sciences and literary studier, culminating in Paul Ricoeurs monumental work "Time and Narrative", marks an important shift in theory of history and is at the same time connected with characteristics of historiography in the late 18th century. A second major impulse carne from Max Webers distinction of knowledge in cultural (or social) sciences on the one hand and value judgements an the other. In more recent times, several approaches in New Testament studies have contributed to this debate from a theological point of view, although the discussion is still in its initial stages. This article advances these perspectives by arguing for the integration of creative imagination and historical criticism in a model of history of early Christianity as well as in Jesus research.

Enthalten in:
Theologische Literaturzeitung; 2003/Nr.9 Monatsschrift für das gesamte Gebiet der Theologie und Religionswissenschaft (2003)

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Serie / Reihe: Theologische Literaturzeitung

Personen: Schröter, Jens

Schlagwörter: Urchristentum Exegese Wissenschaft Neues Testament Geschichtstheorie Historismus