On the 50th anniversary of Rudolf Bultmann's death on July 30, 2026

Due to his hermeneutical approach, Rudolf Bultmann (1884-1976) had a significant influence on exegetical, systematic theological, and ecclesiastical discourse in the 20th century. As a co-founder of the form-critical school and an early representative of dialectical theology, he critically examined positions of liberal theology in the 1920s and focused his academic work on the hermeneutical question of the conditions for understanding biblical texts and their significance for readers in the modern age.

Bultmann published many of his influential works with Mohr Siebeck (including Theology of the New Testament, 9th edition 1984, and the essay collections Faith and Understanding I-IV) and was editor of the Theologische Rundschau (linked) from 1929 onwards.  Mohr Siebeck published his correspondence as well as the Bultmann Handbook (edited by Christof Landmesser) (linked) and the Bultmann Biography (edited by Konrad Hammann) (linked), as well as research contributions that continue Bultmann's theological approaches.