Bonhoeffer as Biblical Interpreter - (T&t Clark New Studies in Bonhoeffer's Theology and Ethics) by Jameson E Ross

About the Book

"Dietrich Bonhoeffer was above all a biblical interpreter. Bonhoeffer's ecclesial hermeneutic consists of a self-reflective form of interpretation in which the ecclesial context is taken for granted, creating and shaping a closely related hermeneutical framework and interpretive practice. This book shows this coordinated relationship by oscillating between Bonhoeffer's explicit hermeneutical reflections and his actual interpretation of biblical texts. After the introduction situates the argument in relation to Bonhoeffer scholarship and outlines the project, Ross shows that Bonhoeffer's biblical interpretation in the 1930s is indebted to the ecclesial hermeneutic he developed already in 1925 in a student essay. Ecclesial acts of theology and preaching proceed through "pneumatische Auslegung," interpretation on the basis of the Spirit. Ross uses the interpretive activity in order to show what the newly inflected ecclesial hermeneutic of the Finkenwalde period looks like in practice by analyzing two sections of Nachfolge. Ross suggests that Bonhoeffer's relation to Scripture is best understood by utilizing the doctrinal resources of Pneumatology, carefully relating divine and human action in interpretation, and that his ecclesial hermeneutic contributes to conversations about how to interpret Scripture today"--

Book Synopsis

By oscillating between Dietrich Bonhoeffer's explicit hermeneutical reflections and his actual practice of interpreting biblical texts, Jameson E. Ross shows that Bonhoeffer's interpretive acts consist of a theologically self-reflective hermeneutic in which Scripture is for interpretation, underscoring how essential the interpreter's Spirit-given freedom, actions, theology, context and needs are for reading Scripture. Offering a fresh vision for methodological discussions in theology, this book is a valuable resource for graduate and postgraduate students and researchers on modern theology, political theology and ethics, and biblical exegesis.

Review Quotes

"This is a work of meticulous scholarship, superb clarity, and compelling insight. It traces not only what Bonhoeffer says about the Bible, but what he does with the text as he reads it - displaying what it means for Bonhoeffer to read 'in the Spirit', and for the sake of others." --Mike Higton, Durham University, UK

"Any reader of Bonhoeffer's mature work will notice how readily he appeals to and engages with the biblical texts. Jameson Ross here offers an exemplary analysis of the subtle interpretative moves that lead Bonhoeffer from text to comment, together with the theological and contextual concerns that motivate them." --Francis Watson, Durham University, UK

"Moving beyond broad claims about the role of the Bible in Bonhoeffer's theology, Bonhoeffer as Biblical Interpreter offers a window into how Bonhoeffer actually read biblical texts during a critical period of his life. Through his close reading of key texts, Ross draws a whole range of cautious but perceptive insights into the specific contours of Bonhoeffer's biblical interpretation. This book is a delightful resource for Bonhoeffer scholars and those seeking a more grounded approach to understanding how a theological figure views Scripture." --Marc Cortez, Wheaton College, USA

About the Author

Jameson E. Ross received his PhD from Durham University, UK.