History

Gotthold E. Lessing's literary work reveals a profound theological dimension. Especially in his early writings, the pastor's son engages critically and intensely with Christianity. Christian anthropology however is, as Steffen Götze's analysis shows, a cornerstone of Lessing's literary oeuvre.

Ernst Friesenhahn (1901-1984) was one of the first judges of the Federal Constitutional Court. Max Stötzel pays tribute to the life and work of this underestimated jurist, who experienced three constitutional upheavals and made a significant contribution to the establishment of the rule of law in the Federal Republic of Germany.

Alyssa Lehr Evans examines how Andreas Bodenstein von Karlstadt, a central player in the development of the Reformation in Wittenberg, became and continued to self-consciously develop as a reformer. She shows how Karlstadt's reading and reception of Augustine played a pivotal role in his development and approaches understanding Karlstadt by considering fundamental issues of authority and interpretation.

In the present volume, the manifold practice of biblical exegesis is taken up methodically and transferred into an integrative overall model of textual interpretation. Students receive the fundamental “tools” for a scholarly, reflective treatment of New Testament texts and their receptions.