International Bonhoeffer Interpretations- God Speaks to Us Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Biblical Hermeneutics

The book examines Bonhoeffer’s interpretation and use of the Bible and its relation to the historical-critical hermeneutics of his time and to postmodern models of interpretation. The essays also unfold the theological, philosophical, and political implications of Bonhoeffer’s hermeneutic.



Bonhoeffer was convinced that God spoke to his people through the Bible. How did a theologian of his caliber, who was well acquainted with the historical-critical interpretation of the scriptures, justify such a claim, and how did he apply this conviction to his daily challenges as theologian, pastor and political dissident during the Nazi regime? This book presents the attempts by a group of international Bonhoeffer scholars to answer some of these questions. By approaching Bonhoeffer’s theology from a number of different hermeneutical angles, the contributions in this volume cast new light both on his more general hermeneutical framework and on specific theological and political issues concerning his reading of the Bible. The essays underline Bonhoeffer’s contemporary relevance for the current resurgence of theological interpretation and for postmodern discussions about the interpretive nature of truth.