Although the biblical commentary is a central literary genre for all faith communities based on the Bible, and can even be described as the ‘foundational genre of Christian theology’ (Erich Zenger), there are strikingly few fundamental reflections on the distinctive character and nature of this vitally important genre. The issues arise in a particularly acute way when considering the Old Testament, because this first and largest part of the Christian Bible represents the closest possible link between Judaism and Christianity. It is important to bear in mind that the same texts are interpreted differently in Judaism and Christianity – due to their respective contexts within a canon (TaNaK/OT). These ‘con-texts’, which are drawn upon in commentaries, must be considered both within and outside the Bible, as they have shaped the genesis of the biblical writings just as much as they have stimulated their interpretation within the context of diverse receptions. The 2020 annual conference of the ‘Working Group of German-speaking Catholic Old Testament Scholars’ focused on the broad spectrum of this topic. The papers prepared for the conference are published in this volume with a view to stimulating discussion of these issues.
With contributions by: G. Steins, G. Langer, M. Ederer, D. Böhler, P. Petzel, D. Krochmalnik, T. Hieke, B. Collinet, B. Schöning, V. Maierhofer, L. Schwienhorst-Schönberger, M.-T. Wacker, I. Naydenov; G. Fischer, H.-J. Fabry, A. Siquans, U. Dahmen, S. Paganini
Published by Kath. Bibelwerk, 2021; 472 pages; ISBN: 978-3-460-00102-2 (external link, opens in a new window)