Günther Bornkamm
Author of Jesus of Nazareth
About the Author
Gunther Bornkamm, a pioneering German New Testament scholar, made significant contributions in the allied areas of form criticism and redaction criticism. As a young academic, he taught in the theological school at Bethel. In 1939 the Nazis shut the school down. After brief pastorates in Munster show more and Dortmund, Bornkamm joined the Germany army in 1943. Following World War II, he resumed his academic career, first at the University of Gottingen, and then (in 1949) at the University of Heidelberg, where he taught until his retirement. As a redaction critic, Bornkamm pressed upon biblical scholars the importance of reading the Gospels as entire works and grasping their theology. As he analyzed the Gospel of Matthew, he raised important form-criticism questions. In addition, he sought to grasp Matthew's distinctive theological perspective and intention. The resulting volume, Tradition and Interpretation in Matthew (1963), called attention to the actual structuring of the discourses of Jesus in Matthew that appeared to be driven by the evangelist's own perception of the church, the eschatology, the law, and Jesus himself. Bultmann insisted that Matthew was no mere transmitter of traditions about Jesus; rather, he was a theological commentator on that tradition. Bultmann's name is also associated with what has come to be known as the new quest for the historical Jesus. He agreed with his teacher Rudolf Bultmann that a comprehensive biography of Jesus was impossible. In his book, Jesus of Nazareth (1960), Bornkamm argued that the primary figure of Jesus of Nazareth is knowable through the parables that he taught, the controversies in which he engaged, and the steady progression in the narrative to its climax on the cross. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Works by Günther Bornkamm
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1905-10-08 (Görlitz, Germany)
- Date of death
- 1990-02-18 (Heidelberg, Germany)
- Gender
- male
- Occupations
- Professor für Neues Testament an der Universität Heidelberg
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Reviews
Günther Bornkamm (1905-1990) was a German New Testament scholar. He was a student of Rudolf Bultmann, as well as other famous theologians. Bultmann was famous (or infamous, depending on one's point of view) for his proposal to "demythologize" the New Testament; that is, remove the legendary accretions to the story of Jesus added by the early Church. Bultmann said that "I do indeed think we can know almost nothing concerning the life and personality of Jesus."
However, in 1956 Bornkamm wrote show more this influential book, which begins by stating, "No one is any longer in a position to write a life of Jesus," not least because the gospel writers display "an incontestable loyalty and adherence to the word of Jesus, and at the same time an astonishing degree of freedom as to the original wording." Nevertheless, Bornkamm maintained that there was a layer of historical recollection that underlay the gospel accounts, which "do speak of history as occurrence and event."
Bornkamm believed that there were certain events in the life of Jesus that were incontestably historical; for example, "The fact that Jesus let himself be baptised by John belongs to the data of his life which cannot be doubted." Also, that "Jesus had to reckon with the possibility of his own violent end, we have no reason to doubt." He is even willing to credit some historical truth to the gospel stories about Jesus' death, since "nothing would be more wrong than to deny that there is any historical truth in the story in the gospels about Jesus' suffering and death, simply because the church's faith was specially concerned with this piece of tradition.
Amazon review (not mine but fairly written) show less
However, in 1956 Bornkamm wrote show more this influential book, which begins by stating, "No one is any longer in a position to write a life of Jesus," not least because the gospel writers display "an incontestable loyalty and adherence to the word of Jesus, and at the same time an astonishing degree of freedom as to the original wording." Nevertheless, Bornkamm maintained that there was a layer of historical recollection that underlay the gospel accounts, which "do speak of history as occurrence and event."
Bornkamm believed that there were certain events in the life of Jesus that were incontestably historical; for example, "The fact that Jesus let himself be baptised by John belongs to the data of his life which cannot be doubted." Also, that "Jesus had to reckon with the possibility of his own violent end, we have no reason to doubt." He is even willing to credit some historical truth to the gospel stories about Jesus' death, since "nothing would be more wrong than to deny that there is any historical truth in the story in the gospels about Jesus' suffering and death, simply because the church's faith was specially concerned with this piece of tradition.
Amazon review (not mine but fairly written) show less
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